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Tobit’s Prayer

3Then with much grief and anguish of heart I wept, and with groaning began to pray:
² ‘You are righteous, O Lord,
   and all your deeds are just;
all your ways are mercy and truth;
   you judge the world.^*
3 And now, O Lord, remember me
   and look favourably upon me.
Do not punish me for my sins
   and for my unwitting offences
   and those that my ancestors committed before you.
They sinned against you,
⁴   and disobeyed your commandments.
So you gave us over to plunder, exile, and death,
   to become the talk, the byword, and an object of reproach,
   among all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.
⁵ And now your many judgements are true
   in exacting penalty from me for my sins.
For we have not kept your commandments
   and have not walked in accordance with truth before you.
⁶ So now deal with me as you will;
   command my spirit to be taken from me,
   so that I may be released from the face of the earth and become dust.
For it is better for me to die than to live,
   because I have had to listen to undeserved insults,
   and great is the sorrow within me.
Command, O Lord, that I be released from this distress;
   release me to go to the eternal home,
   and do not, O Lord, turn your face away from me.
For it is better for me to die
   than to see so much distress in my life
   and to listen to insults.’

Sarah Falsely Accused

7 On the same day, at Ecbatana in Media, it also happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, was reproached by one of her father’s maids. ⁸For she had been married to seven husbands, and the wicked demon Asmodeus had killed each of them before they had been with her as is customary for wives. So the maid said to her, ‘You are the one who kills^* your husbands! See, you have already been married to seven husbands and have not borne the name of^* a single one of them. ⁹Why do you beat us? Because your husbands are dead? Go with them! May we never see a son or daughter of yours!’

Sarah’s Prayer for Death

10 On that day she was grieved in spirit and wept. When she had gone up to her father’s upper room, she intended to hang herself. But she thought it over and said, ‘Never shall they reproach my father, saying to him, “You had only one beloved daughter but she hanged herself because of her distress.” And I shall bring my father in his old age down in sorrow to Hades. It is better for me not to hang myself, but to pray the Lord that I may die and not listen to these reproaches any more.’ ¹¹At that same time, with hands outstretched towards the window, she prayed and said,
‘Blessed are you, merciful God!
   Blessed is your name for ever;
   let all your works praise you for ever.
¹² And now, Lord,^* I turn my face to you,
   and raise my eyes towards you.
¹³ Command that I be released from the earth
   and not listen to such reproaches any more.
¹⁵ and that I have not disgraced my name
   or the name of my father in the land of my exile.
I am my father’s only child;
   he has no other child to be his heir;
and he has no close relative or other kindred
   for whom I should keep myself as wife.
Already seven husbands of mine have died.
   Why should I still live?
But if it is not pleasing to you, O Lord, to take my life,
   hear me in my disgrace.’

An Answer to Prayer

16 At that very moment, the prayers of both of them were heard in the glorious presence of God. ¹⁷So Raphael was sent to heal both of them: Tobit, by removing the white films from his eyes, so that he might see God’s light with his eyes; and Sarah daughter of Raguel, by giving her in marriage to Tobias son of Tobit, and by setting her free from the wicked demon Asmodeus. For Tobias was entitled to have her before all others who had desired to marry her. At the same time that Tobit returned from the courtyard into his house, Sarah daughter of Raguel came down from her upper room.

Psalm 25

Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance

Of David.
¹ To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
   do not let me be put to shame;
   do not let my enemies exult over me.
³ Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long.

⁶ Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

¹¹ For your name’s sake, O Lord,
   pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who are they that fear the Lord?
   He will teach them the way that they should choose.

¹³ They will abide in prosperity,
   and their children shall possess the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
   and he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever towards the Lord,
   for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart,
   and bring me^* out of my distress.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
   and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
   and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ O guard my life, and deliver me;
   do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
   for I wait for you.

²² Redeem Israel, O God,
   out of all its troubles.

The Question about the Resurrection

18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, ¹⁹‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man^* shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁰There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; ²¹and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; ²²none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. ²³In the resurrection^* whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.’

24 Jesus said to them, ‘Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? ²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? ²⁷He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.’