Tobit’s Thanksgiving to God

¹ Then Tobit said: “Blessed is God who lives for ever, and blessed is his kingdom,

² because he chastises, and he shows mercy; he leads down to Hades below the earth, and he himself raises up again from great devastation, and there is nothing that can escape his hand.

³ Acknowledge him, O sons of Israel, before the nations; for he himself has scattered you among them,

⁴ and he has shown you his greatness even there. So exalt him in the presence of every living thing, because he himself is our Lord; he is our God, and he is our Father, and he is God through all the ages.

⁵ He will chastise you for your unrighteous deeds, and he will have mercy upon you all, from all the nations wherever you have been scattered.

⁶ When you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul, to do what is true before him, then he will turn to you and will surely not hide his face from you any longer. And now see what he has done with you; acknowledge him with your full voice, and bless the Lord of righteousness and exalt the King of the ages. I acknowledge him in the land of my captivity, and I show his power and majesty to a nation of sinners. Turn back, you sinners, and do what is right before him; who knows if he will accept you and have mercy on you?

⁷ I exalt my God and my soul exalts the King of heaven, and will rejoice in his majesty.

⁸ Let all people speak and acknowledge him in Jerusalem.

⁹ O Jerusalem, the holy city, he will chastise you for the deeds of your sons, and will again show mercy to the sons of the righteous.

¹⁰ Acknowledge the Lord in good times and bless the King of the ages. Your tabernacle will once again be built for you with joy. May he cheer all those within you who are captives and love all those within you who are distressed, to all generations for ever.

¹¹ A bright light will shine into all the ends of the earth: many nations will come to you from far off, and sojourners from all the farthest places of the earth will come to your holy name, bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. Generations of generations will render joyful worship within you, and the name of the chosen one will last for generations for ever.

¹² Cursed are all who speak a harsh word against you; cursed will be all those who overthrow and pull down your walls, and all who topple your towers and burn your dwellings. But blessed will be all who revere you for ever.

¹³ Go, then, and rejoice over the sons of the righteous, because they will all be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the age.

¹⁴ Happy are those who love you, and happy are those who will rejoice over the peace you enjoy. Happy are all the people who will grieve over all your chastisements, because they will rejoice over you, and they will see all your joy for ever.

¹⁵ Bless the Lord, the great King, O my soul,

¹⁶ because Jerusalem will be built up for a city, God’s house unto all ages. Happy would I be, if the remnant of my line might be present to see your glory and to acknowledge the King of heaven. The gates of Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald, and all her walls with precious stone; the towers of Jerusalem will be built with gold and her outer fortifications with pure gold.

¹⁷ The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with garnet and stone of Ophir;

¹⁸ and the gates of Jerusalem will speak songs of joyful worship, and all her houses will say ‘Hallelujah! Blessed is the God of Israel,’ and the blessed will bless the holy name for ever and beyond.