„In the seventeenth year he mustered his forces against King Arphaxad and was victorious in his campaign. He routed the whole force of Arphaxad, his entire cavalry, and all his chariots, 14and took possession of his cities. He pressed on to Ecbatana, took its towers, sacked its marketplaces, and turned its glory into shame. 15He captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, ran him through with spears, and utterly destroyed him once and for all. 16Then he returned to Nineveh with all his consolidated forces, a very great multitude of warriors; and there he and his forces relaxed and feasted for one hundred and twenty days”.

„It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh. At that time Arphaxad was ruling over the Medes in Ecbatana. 2Around Ecbatana he built a wall of hewn stones, three cubits thick and six cubits long. He made the walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide. 3At its gates he raised towers one hundred cubits high with foundations sixty cubits wide. 4He made its gates seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide to allow passage of his mighty forces, with his infantry in formation. 5At that time King Nebuchadnezzar waged war against King Arphaxad in the vast plain that borders Ragau. 6Rallying to him were all who lived in the hill country, all who lived along the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Hydaspes, as well as Arioch, king of the Elamites, in the plains. Thus many nations joined the ranks of the Chelodites. 7Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, contacted all the inhabitants of Persia and all who lived in the west, the inhabitants of Cilicia and Damascus, Lebanon and Antilebanon, and all who lived along the seacoast, 8the peoples of Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee, and the vast plain of Esdraelon, 9and all in Samaria and its cities, and west of the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, Bethany, Chelous, Kadesh, and the river of Egypt; Tahpanhes, Raamses, all the land of Goshen, 10Tanis, Memphis and beyond, and all the inhabitants of Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia. 11But all the inhabitants of the whole land made light of the summons of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, and would not join him in the war. They were not afraid of him, since he was only a single opponent. So they sent back his envoys empty-handed and disgraced. 12Then Nebuchadnezzar fell into a violent rage against all the land, and swore by his throne and his kingdom that he would take revenge on all the territories of Cilicia, Damascus, and Syria, and would destroy with his sword all the inhabitants of Moab, Ammon, the whole of Judea, and all those living in Egypt as far as the coasts of the two seas”.

„When Tobiah’s mother died, he buried her next to his father. He then departed with his wife and children for Media, where he settled in Ecbatana with his father-in-law Raguel. 13He took respectful care of his aging father-in-law and mother-in-law; and he buried them at Ecbatana in Media. Then he inherited Raguel’s estate as well as that of his father Tobit. 14He died highly respected at the age of one hundred seventeen. 15But before he died, he saw and heard of the destruction of Nineveh. He saw the inhabitants of the city being led captive into Media by Cyaxares, the king of Media. Tobiah blessed God for all that he had done against the Ninevites and Assyrians. Before dying he rejoiced over Nineveh, and he blessed the Lord God forever and ever”.

„The day you bury your mother next to me, do not even stay overnight within the confines of the city. For I see that there is much wickedness in it, and much treachery is practiced in it, and people are not ashamed. See, my son, all that Nadin did to Ahiqar, the very one who reared him. Was not Ahiqar brought down alive into the earth? Yet God made Nadin’s disgraceful crime rebound against him. Ahiqar came out again into the light, but Nadin went into the everlasting darkness, for he had tried to kill Ahiqar. Because Ahiqar had given alms he escaped from the deadly trap Nadin had set for him. But Nadin fell into the deadly trap himself, and it destroyed him. 11So, my children, see what almsgiving does, and also what wickedness does—it kills! But now my spirit is about to leave me”.

„But God will again have mercy on them and bring them back to the land of Israel. They will build the house again, but it will not be like the first until the era when the appointed times will be completed. Afterward all of them will return from their captivity, and they will rebuild Jerusalem with due honor. In it the house of God will also be rebuilt, just as the prophets of Israel said of it. 6All the nations of the world will turn and reverence God in truth; all will cast away their idols, which have deceitfully led them into error. 7They will bless the God of the ages in righteousness. All the Israelites truly mindful of God, who are to be saved in those days, will be gathered together and will come to Jerusalem; in security will they dwell forever in the land of Abraham, which will be given to them. Those who love God sincerely will rejoice, but those who commit sin and wickedness will disappear completely from the land. 9Now, my children, I give you this command: serve God sincerely and do what is pleasing in his sight; you must instruct your children to do what is right and to give alms, to be mindful of God and at all times to bless his name sincerely and with all their strength. Now, as for you, son, leave Nineveh; do not stay here”.

„So the words of Tobit’s hymn of praise came to an end. Tobit died in peace at the age of a hundred and twelve and was buried with honor in Nineveh. 2He was fifty-eight years old when he lost his eyesight, and after he recovered it he lived in prosperity, giving alms; he continued to fear God and give thanks to the divine Majesty. 3As he was dying, he summoned his son Tobiah and Tobiah’s seven sons, and commanded him, Son, take your children 4and flee into Media, for I believe God’s word that Nahum spoke against Nineveh. It will all happen and will overtake Assyria and Nineveh; indeed all that was said by Israel’s prophets whom God sent will come to pass. Not one of all their words will remain unfulfilled, but everything will take place in the time appointed for it. So it will be safer in Media than in Assyria or Babylon. For I know and believe that whatever God has said will be accomplished. It will happen, and not a single word of the prophecies will fail. As for our kindred who dwell in the land of Israel, they will all be scattered and taken into captivity from the good land. All the land of Israel will become a wilderness; even Samaria and Jerusalem will be a wilderness! For a time, the house of God will be desolate and will be burned”.

„Go, then, rejoice and exult over the children of the righteous, for they will all be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the ages. 14Happy are those who love you, and happy are those who rejoice in your peace. Happy too are all who grieve over all your afflictions, For they will rejoice over you and behold all your joy forever. 15My soul, bless the Lord, the great King; 16for Jerusalem will be rebuilt as his house forever. Happy too will I be if a remnant of my offspring survives to see your glory and to give thanks to the King of heaven! The gates of Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald, and all your walls with precious stones. The towers of Jerusalem will be built with gold, and their battlements with purest gold. 17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with rubies and stones of Ophir; 18The gates of Jerusalem will sing hymns of gladness, and all its houses will cry out, Hallelujah! Blessed be the God of Israel for all ages! For in you the blessed will bless the holy name forever and ever”.

„As for me, I exalt my God, my soul exalts the King of heaven, and rejoices all the days of my life. Let all sing praise to his greatness, 8let all speak and give thanks in Jerusalem. 9Jerusalem, holy city, he will afflict you for the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of the righteous. 10Give thanks to the Lord with righteousness, and bless the King of the ages, so that your tabernacle may be rebuilt in you with joy. May he gladden within you all who are captives; may he cherish within you all who are distressed for all generations to come. 11A bright light will shine to the limits of the earth. Many nations will come to you from afar, And inhabitants of all the ends of the earth to your holy name, Bearing in their hands gifts for the King of heaven. Generation after generation will offer joyful worship in you; your name will be great forever and ever. 12Cursed be all who despise you and revile you; cursed be all who hate you and speak a harsh word against you; cursed be all who destroy you and pull down your walls, And all who overthrow your towers and set fire to your homes. But blessed forever be all those who respect you”.

„Then Tobit spoke and composed a song of joyful praise; he said: Blessed be God who lives forever, because his kingship lasts for all ages. 2For he afflicts and shows mercy, casts down to the depths of Hades, brings up from the great abyss. What is there that can snatch from his hand? 3Give thanks to him, you Israelites, in the presence of the nations, for though he has scattered you among them, 4even there recount his greatness. Exalt him before every living being, because he is your Lord, and he is your God, our Father and God forever and ever! 5He will afflict you for your iniquities, but will have mercy on all of you. He will gather you from all the nations among whom you have been scattered. 6When you turn back to him with all your heart, and with all your soul do what is right before him, Then he will turn to you, and will hide his face from you no longer. Now consider what he has done for you, and give thanks with full voice. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. In the land of my captivity I give thanks, and declare his power and majesty to a sinful nation. According to your heart do what is right before him: perhaps there will be pardon for you”.

„I shall now tell you the whole truth and conceal nothing at all from you. I have already said to you, ‘A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God with due honor.’ 12Now when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and likewise whenever you used to bury the dead. 13When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury that dead man, 14I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. 15I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord. 16Greatly shaken, the two of them fell prostrate in fear. 17But Raphael said to them: Do not fear; peace be with you! Bless God now and forever. 18As for me, when I was with you, I was not acting out of any favor on my part, but by God’s will. So bless God every day; give praise with song. 19Even though you saw me eat and drink, I did not eat or drink anything; what you were seeing was a vision. 20So now bless the Lord on earth and give thanks to God. Look, I am ascending to the one who sent me. Write down all that has happened to you. And he ascended. 21They stood up but were no longer able to see him. 22They kept blessing God and singing his praises, and they continued to give thanks for these marvelous works that God had done, because an angel of God appeared to them”.