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The Book of Tobit (Tobias)

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- Chapter 10 -

The parents lament the long absence of their son Tobias. He sets out to return.

1
In truth, when Tobias was delayed because of the marriage celebration, his father Tobit was worried, saying: “Why do you think my son is delayed, or why has he been detained there?
2
Do you think that Gabael has died, and that no one will repay him the money?”
3
And so he began to be exceedingly sad, both he and his wife Anna with him. And they both began to weep together, because their son did not at least return to them on the appointed day.
4
But his mother wept inconsolable tears, and also said: “Woe, woe to me, O my son. Why did we send you to journey far away, you: the light of our eyes, the staff of our old age, the solace of our life, the hope of our posterity?
5
Having all things together as one in you, we ought not to have dismissed you from us.”
6
And Tobit was saying to her: “Be calm, and do not be troubled. Our son is safe. That man, with whom we sent him, is faithful enough.”
7
Yet she was by no means able to be consoled. But, leaping up every day, she looked all round, and traveled around all the ways, by which there seemed any hope that he might return, so that she might possibly see him coming from afar.
8
In truth, Raguel said to his son-in-law, “Remain here, and I will send a message of your health to your father Tobit.”
9
And Tobias said to him, “I know that my father and my mother have now counted the days, and their spirit must be tortured within them.”
10
And when Raguel had repeatedly petitioned Tobias, and he was by no means willing to listen to him, he delivered Sarah to him, and half of all his substance: with men and women servants, with sheep, camels, and cows, and with much money. And he dismissed him away, in safety and gladness, from him,
11
saying: “May the holy Angel of the Lord be with your journey, and may he lead you through unharmed, and may you discover that all is right concerning your parents, and may my eyes see your sons before I die.”
12
And the parents, taking hold of their daughter, kissed her and let her go:
13
admonishing her to honor her father-in-law, to love her husband, to guide the family, to govern the household, and to behave irreproachably herself.(a)

Footnotes

(a)10:13 Some translations of the Latin add ‘and mother-in-law,’ but the text does not call for this translation. Only the father-in-law is mentioned as needed to be honored because he is the head of the household; by saying ‘honor the father,’ the meaning is to honor both the father and the household of which he is head.(Conte)

The parents lament the long absence of their son Tobias. He sets out to return.

1
Tobit his father counted every day. When the days of the journey were expired, and they didn’t come,
2
he said, “Is he perchance detained?(a) Or is Gabael perchance dead, and there is no one to give him the money?”
3
He was very grieved.
4
But his wife said to him, “The child has perished, seeing he waits long.” She began to bewail him, and said,
5
“I care about nothing,(b) my child, since I have let you go, the light of my eyes.”
6
Tobit said to her, “Hold your peace. Don’t worry. He is in good health.”
7
And she said to him, “Hold your peace. Don’t deceive me. My child has perished.” And she went out every day into the way by which they went, and ate no bread in the day-time, and didn’t stop bewailing her son Tobias for whole nights, until the fourteen days of the wedding feast were expired, which Raguel had sworn that he should spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel, “Send me away, for my father and my mother look no more to see me.”
8
But his father-in-law said to him, “Stay with me, and I will send to your father, and they will declare to him how things go with you.”
9
Tobias said, “No. Send me away to my father.”
10
Raguel arose, and gave him Sarah his wife, and half his goods, servants and cattle and money;
11
and he blessed them, and sent them away, saying, “The God of heaven will prosper you, my children, before I die.”
12
And he said to his daughter, “Honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law. They are now your parents. Let me hear a good report of you.” Then he kissed her. Edna said to Tobias, “May the Lord of heaven restore you, dear brother, and grant to me that I may see your children of my daughter Sarah, that I may rejoice before the Lord. Behold, I commit my daughter to you in special trust. Don’t cause her grief.

Footnotes

(a)10:2 Many ancient authorities read “Are they perchance put to shame?”
(b)10:5 Some authorities read “Woe is me.”
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