The Worlds Greatest Books - Volume 13 | Page 4

committed to Gabael in Rages of Media the sum of ten
talents; and he called his son Tobias to go forth and seek Gabael, giving him handwriting.
Tobias sought a guide and found Raphael, who was an angel though Tobias knew it not,
and who said he knew and had lodged with Gabael. So they went forth both.
When Tobias and Raphael came to the River Tigris, a fish leaped out of the water and
would have devoured him, but the young man laid hold of it, and drew it to land. The
Angel bade Tobias open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put
them up safely. The young man said to the Angel: To what use are these? And the Angel
said: Touching the heart and the liver, if an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke
thereof, and the party shall be no more vexed. As for the gall: it is good to anoint a man

that a whiteness in his eyes shall be healed.
When they came near to Rages, the Angel said: To-day we shall lodge with Raguel, who
is thy cousin and hath an only daughter named Sara. The maid is fair and wise, and I will
speak that she may be given thee as a wife. Then the young man answered the Angel, that
he had heard that this maid had been given to seven men who all died in the marriage
chamber, and he feared lest he should also die. But the Angel said: Fear not, for she is
appointed unto thee from the beginning.
Now they came to the house of Raguel, and Sara met them and brought them therein.
Raguel and Edna his wife recognised Tobias as a kinsman, and kissed and blessed him.
Tobias and Raphael were entertained cheerfully; and after Raphael had communicated
with Raguel, Edna, his wife, was called and an instrument of covenants of marriage
between Sara and Tobias were written and sealed. And a chamber was prepared for them
by Edna, who blessed Sara and asked the Lord of Heaven and Earth to give her joy. And
when they had all supped, Tobias was brought in unto Sara. And, as he went he
remembered the words of Raphael, and put the heart and liver of the fish upon the ashes
of the perfume, and made a smoke therewith. When the evil spirit had smelled the smoke
he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt, where an angel bound him. Then Tobias and Sara
arose and prayed that God would have pity upon them, and bless them, and mercifully
ordain that they might become aged together. So they slept both that night.
Raguel praised God because the Lord had had mercy upon two that were the only
begotten children of their fathers, and prayed that they might finish their life in health and
joy. Raphael then went to Rages to Gabael for the money, and the two returned to
Raguel's house with the bags sealed up.
Now Tobit and his wife longed for their son, and Tobias said to Raguel: Let me go, for
my father and mother look no more to see me. Then Raguel gave him Sara, his wife, and
half his goods, servants, cattle and money. And he and Edna blessed them and sent them
away.
After a prosperous journey, they drew near unto Nineve. Then Raphael told Tobias to
make haste before his wife to prepare the house, and to take in his hand the gall of the
fish. Now Anna sat looking about toward the way for her son, and when she espied him
coming, she said to his father: Behold, thy son cometh and the man that went with him.
And Anna ran forth, and fell upon the neck of her son and said: From henceforth I am
content to die. Tobias met his father at the door, and strake of the gall on his father's eyes,
saying: Be of good hope, my father. And Tobit recovered his sight. When he saw his son,
he fell upon his neck and wept, and blessed God. Then Tobit went out to meet his
daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineve, and welcomed and blessed her; and there was joy
among all his brethren which were at Nineve.
Tobit offered to Raphael half of all that had been brought from Rages; but Raphael called
him and Tobias apart and exhorted them to praise and magnify the Lord for all the things
which he had done unto them; and told them that he, Raphael, was one of the seven holy
angels which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of
the Holy One. Then they were both troubled and fell