Anxiety of Tobias’ Parents

¹ Now day by day, Tobit was counting out how many days Tobias had been travelling and how many days he would need to return. And when the days had been completed and his son did not yet arrive,

² he said, “Perhaps he has been held up there, or perhaps Gabael died and no one is there to give him the silver?” ³And he began to grieve.

⁴And Anna his wife said, “My child has perished and is no longer among the living!” Then she began to mourn and to lament over her son and said,

⁵“Woe to me, child, that I allowed you, the light of my eyes, to leave!”

⁶ Tobit began to say to her, “Be still and stop making an issue, sister; he is safe and sound. Something has probably distracted them there. The man travelling with him is reliable and one of our brothers. Do not grieve over him, sister; he is just about here.”

⁷And she said to him, “You be quiet and stop deceiving me; my child has perished.” And she rushed out every day to look down the road by which her son had left and would not listen to anyone. And whenever the sun had set, she would go back in and wail and weep the whole night long and would take no sleep.

Tobias and Sarah Head for Home

Now when the fourteen days of the wedding feast that Raguel had sworn to make for his daughter were completed, Tobias went to him and said, “Send me back, for I know that my father and mother do not believe that they will ever see me again. So now I ask you, father, that you dismiss me, so I may go to my father. I have already told you in what condition I left him.”

⁸And Raguel said to Tobias, “Stay, child; stay with me, and I will send messengers to your father Tobit, and they will inform him how things are with you.”

⁹And he replied, “By no means! I ask you to send me back from here to my father.”

¹⁰So Raguel arose and gave Tobias his wife Sarah and half of all his belongings—male and female servants, cattle and sheep, donkeys and camels, garments, silver, and vessels.

¹¹And he sent them off safe and sound, and bade him farewell and said to him, “Be well, child, and go your way safe and sound. May the Lord of heaven prosper you and your wife Sarah, and may I see your children before I die.”

¹² He said also to his daughter Sarah, “Go to your father-in-law and your mother-in-law, because from now on they are your parents, as are the ones who gave you birth. Go in peace, daughter, and may I hear a good report about you as long as I live.” And saying farewell, he allowed them to go. And Edna said to Tobias, “Child and beloved brother, may the Lord bring you back and may I live to see your children, yours and Sarah’s, before I die. Before the Lord I am entrusting my daughter to you for safekeeping. Do nothing to grieve her all the days of your life. Go in peace, child. From now on I am your mother and Sarah is your sister. May we all prosper together all the days of our lives.” And she kissed them both and sent them off safe and sound.

¹³ So Tobias left Raguel safe and sound, rejoicing and blessing the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all, because he had made his journey a success. And he said to him, “May it please you to honour them all the days of their lives.”