Tobias 5

¹Then Tobias answered his father, and said: I will do all things, father, whatsoever thou hast commanded me.

²But how I shall require this money, I cannot tell, he knoweth not me, and I know not him: what token shall I give him? Yea neither the way which leadeth thither did I ever know.

³Then his father answered him, & said: I have the bill of his hand with me, which when thou shalt shew him he will forthwith restore it.

⁴But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man, that may go with thee, being sure of his hire: that thou mayst receive it, whilst I yet live.

⁵Then Tobias going forth, found a goodly young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk.

⁶And not knowing that it was an Angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence have we thee, good young man?

⁷But he answered: Of the children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way, that leadeth unto the country of the Medes?

⁸To whom he answered: I know it: and all the ways thereof I have often walked, and I have tarried with Gabelus our brother, who abideth in Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the Mount Ecbatanis.

⁹To whom Tobias said: Stay for me I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father.

¹⁰Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father. Where upon his father marveling, requested that he would come in unto him.

¹¹Going in therefore he saluted him, and said: Joy be to thee always.

¹²And Tobias said: What manner of joy shall be to me, which sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven?

¹³To whom the young man said: Be of good cheer, it is very near that thou mayst be cured of God.

¹⁴Tobias therefore said to him: Canst thou bring my son to Gabelus into Rages a city of the Medes? And when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire.

¹⁵And the Angel said to him: I will conduct him, and bring him to thee again.

¹⁶To whom Tobias answered: I pray thee tell me, of what house, or what tribe art thou?

¹⁷To whom Raphael the Angel said: Seekest thou the kindred of an hired servant, or an hired servant himself, that may go with thy son?

¹⁸But lest perhaps I make thee careful, I am Azarias the son of Ananias the great.

¹⁹And Tobias answered: Thou art of a great kindred. But I pray thee be not angry that I would know thy kindred.

²⁰And the Angel said to him: I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe.

²¹And Tobias answering, said: Well may you walk, & God be in your journey, and his Angel accompany you.

²²Then all things being ready that were to be carried in the way, Tobias bid his father and his mother fare well, & they walked both together.

²³And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say: Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us.

²⁴I would the money had never been, for the which thou hast sent him.

²⁵For our poverty sufficed us, that we might account this thing riches, that we saw our son.

²⁶And Tobias said to her: Weep not, our son shall come thither save, and shall return safe to us, and thine eyes shall see him.

²⁷For I believe that the good Angel of God doth accompany him, & doth well dispose all things that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.

²⁸At this voice his mother left weeping, and held her peace.