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Raphael’s Instructions

10 When he entered Media and already was approaching Ecbatana,^{* 11}Raphael said to the young man, ‘Brother Tobias.’ ‘Here I am,’ he answered. Then Raphael^* said to him, ‘We must stay this night in the home of Raguel. He is your relative, and he has a daughter named Sarah.

Arrival at the Home of Raguel

7Now when they^* entered Ecbatana, Tobias^* said to him, ‘Brother Azariah, take me straight to our brother Raguel.’ So he took him to Raguel’s house, where they found him sitting beside the courtyard door. They greeted him first, and he replied, ‘Joyous greetings, brothers; welcome and good health!’ Then he brought them into his house. ²He said to his wife Edna, ‘How much the young man resembles my kinsman Tobit!’ ³Then Edna questioned them, saying, ‘Where are you from, brothers?’ They answered, ‘We belong to the descendants of Naphtali who are exiles in Nineveh.’ ⁴She said to them, ‘Do you know our kinsman Tobit?’ And they replied, ‘Yes, we know him.’ Then she asked them, ‘Is he^* in good health?’ ⁵They replied, ‘He is alive and in good health.’ And Tobias added, ‘He is my father!’ ⁶At that Raguel jumped up and kissed him and wept. ⁷He also spoke to him as follows, ‘Blessings on you, my child, son of a good and noble father!^* O most miserable of calamities that such an upright and beneficent man has become blind!’ He then embraced his kinsman Tobias and wept. ⁸His wife Edna also wept for him, and their daughter Sarah likewise wept. ⁹Then Raguel^* slaughtered a ram from the flock and received them very warmly.

Marriage of Tobias and Sarah

When they had bathed and washed themselves and had reclined to dine, Tobias said to Raphael, ‘Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to give me my kinswoman^* Sarah.’ ¹⁰But Raguel overheard it and said to the lad, ‘Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For no one except you, brother, has the right to marry my daughter Sarah. Likewise I am not at liberty to give her to any other man than yourself, because you are my nearest relative. But let me explain to you the true situation more fully, my child. ¹¹I have given her to seven men of our kinsmen, and all died on the night when they went in to her. But now, my child, eat and drink, and the Lord will act on behalf of you both.’ But Tobias said, ‘I will neither eat nor drink anything until you settle the things that pertain to me.’ So Raguel said, ‘I will do so. She is given to you in accordance with the decree in the book of Moses, and it has been decreed from heaven that she should be given to you. Take your kinswoman;^* from now on you are her brother and she is your sister. She is given to you from today and for ever. May the Lord of heaven, my child, guide and prosper you both this night and grant you mercy and peace.’ ¹²Then Raguel summoned his daughter Sarah. When she came to him he took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias,^* saying, ‘Take her to be your wife in accordance with the law and decree written in the book of Moses. Take her and bring her safely to your father. And may the God of heaven prosper your journey with his peace.’ ¹³Then he called her mother and told her to bring writing material; and he wrote out a copy of a marriage contract, to the effect that he gave her to him as wife according to the decree of the law of Moses. ¹⁴Then they began to eat and drink.

15 Raguel called his wife Edna and said to her, ‘Sister, get the other room ready, and take her there.’

4 When the parents^* had gone out and shut the door of the room, Tobias got out of bed and said to Sarah,^* ‘Sister, get up, and let us pray and implore our Lord that he grant us mercy and safety.’ ⁵So she got up, and they began to pray and implore that they might be kept safe. Tobias^* began by saying,
‘Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors,
   and blessed is your name in all generations for ever.
Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you for ever.
⁶ You made Adam, and for him you made his wife Eve
   as a helper and support.
   From the two of them the human race has sprung.
You said, “It is not good that the man should be alone;
   let us make a helper for him like himself.”
⁷ I now am taking this kinswoman of mine,
   not because of lust,
   but with sincerity.
Grant that she and I may find mercy
   and that we may grow old together.’
⁸And they both said, ‘Amen, Amen.’

²Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and ⁵like living stones, let yourselves be built^* into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,^* in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
¹⁰ Once you were not a people,
   but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
   but now you have received mercy.

Live as Servants of God

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. ¹²Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honourable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.^*