Tobit 12

Then Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, "My son, make sure the man who traveled with you gets his pay, and you must give him more besides."

1Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.

NoteThe man who traveled with Tobias was hired as a guide in chapter 5 at an agreed rate of one drachma a day plus expenses, a drachma being roughly a day's wage for an ordinary laborer. Tobit is saying that the contracted pay is not enough for what was actually done.

2Tobias said to him, "Father, it costs me nothing to give him half of what I have brought back.

2And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought:

3He brought me back to you safely, he cured my wife, he brought back my money, and he healed you as well."

3For he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

Note"Made whole my wife" is King James English simply for cured her. It refers to Sarah, whose seven previous bridegrooms had died on their wedding nights, and who was freed from the demon Asmodeus on her wedding night with Tobias.

4Then the old man said, "He has earned it."

4Then the old man said, It is due unto him.

5So Tobias called the angel and said to him, "Take half of everything the two of you brought back, and go on your way in safety."

5So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that ye have brought and go away in safety.

NoteThe "half" is half of everything brought back from the trip: the ten talents of silver recovered from Gabael at Rages, plus the property that came to Tobias with Sarah. It is an enormous sum, not a tip.

6Then he took them both aside and said to them, "Bless God, thank him, say how great he is, and thank him in front of everyone alive for what he has done for you. It is good to praise God and lift up his name, and to tell what God has done in a way that gives him honor. So do not be slow to praise him.

6Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not slack to praise him.

NoteTo "bless God" is a Hebrew idiom carried straight into the King James. It does not mean conferring a blessing on God; it means speaking well of him, praising him aloud.

7It is good to keep a king's secret hidden, but it brings honor to tell openly what God has done. Do what is good, and no evil will touch you.

7It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

NoteKeeping a king's confidence was standard court wisdom in the ancient Near East: a counselor who repeated what the king said in private could lose his position or his life. The saying sets that ordinary discretion against the opposite obligation regarding what God has done, which is to be told in public.

8Prayer is good when it goes with fasting, with gifts to the poor, and with doing what is right. A little that is gained honestly is better than a lot that is gained dishonestly. It is better to give to the poor than to store up gold.

8Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:

Note"Alms" is the King James word for money or goods given to the poor. In the Hebrew and Aramaic behind books like this, one word family covers both charitable giving and righteousness or justice, which is why the two keep turning up side by side in these verses. Fasting means deliberately going without food for a set period as part of prayer or mourning.

9Giving to the poor rescues a person from death, and it washes away every sin. Those who give to the poor and do what is right will be filled with life.

9For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

Note"Purge away" means wash out or wipe clean. The saying reworks a proverb well known in Jewish tradition, "righteousness delivereth from death" (Proverbs 10:2 and 11:4), using a word that could be heard either as right conduct in general or as giving to the poor in particular.

10But those who sin are enemies of their own lives.

10But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

11I am going to hide nothing from you. I said that it is good to keep a king's secret hidden, but that it brings honor to tell openly what God has done.

11Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to keep close the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the works of God.

12So then: when you prayed, and when Sarah your son's wife prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayers before the Holy One. And when you buried the dead, I was there with you too.

12Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when thou didst bury the dead, I was with thee likewise.

NoteThe prayers are the two prayers of chapter 3, which Tobit in Nineveh and Sarah in Ecbatana prayed on the same day without knowing of each other. "The remembrance of your prayers" uses the vocabulary of the temple: the memorial was the portion of an offering burned so that its smoke went up and brought the worshiper to God's notice. Raphael describes himself as carrying their prayers up in that way. "The Holy One" is a title for God.

13And when you did not put it off, but got up and left your dinner to go and cover the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me. I was with you.

13And when thou didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go and cover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.

NoteThis recalls chapter 2. Tobit left his festival meal untouched when he heard that an Israelite had been killed and left lying in the marketplace, and he went and buried the body after dark. Burying his own people's dead was forbidden by the king at Nineveh and had already cost Tobit his property and nearly his life; contact with a corpse also made a person ritually unclean for a period. The act carried a price either way.

14And now God has sent me to heal you and Sarah your son's wife.

14And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

15I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who carry the prayers of God's holy people before him, and who go in and out before the glory of the Holy One."

15I am Raphael, 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.

NoteThe name Raphael means "God heals" in Hebrew, which is why he gives it at this point, immediately after saying that God sent him to heal. "One of the seven holy angels" reflects an idea common in Jewish writing of this period, that seven named angels stand in God's immediate presence; the lists of names vary from book to book. "Saints" in the King James does not mean canonized holy figures; it is simply that translation's word for God's holy people, the faithful in general. To "go in and out before the glory" is court language: these are the attendants who have the right of entry to the king's own presence.

16Then they were both shaken, and they fell face down on the ground, because they were afraid.

16Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

NoteFalling face down on the ground was the customary way of showing awe or submission before a king or a divine being. It is a deliberate gesture, not a faint.

17But he said to them, "Do not be afraid. It will go well with you. So praise God.

17But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praise God therefore.

18I did not come because I chose to do you a favor. I came because our God willed it. So praise him forever.

18For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came; wherefore praise him for ever.

Note"Favour" here does not mean a kindness done to someone. The sense is that Raphael did not come of his own goodwill or on his own initiative, but was sent. Manuscripts differ over the next words: some read "our God," as the King James does, others "your God."

19All these days I appeared to you, but I did not eat or drink anything. What you saw was a vision.

19All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision.

NoteRaphael is saying that although they watched him at meals for the whole journey, he took no food and no drink; what they saw was an appearance only. The King James renders the Greek literally and leaves it at that, without explaining further.

20So now give thanks to God, because I am going up to the one who sent me. And write down in a book everything that has happened."

20Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.

Note"Write all things which are done in a book" presents the story just told as the origin of this book itself. The next chapter opens with the song Tobit then wrote down.

21And when they got up, they could not see him anymore.

21And when they arose, they saw him no more.

22Then they told openly about the great and wonderful things God had done, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.

22Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them.

Note"Confessed" in 1611 English normally meant to declare or acknowledge openly, very often in praise. It does not mean admitting to a fault.