Tobit’s thanksgiving song
13 Then Tobit spoke and wrote down a psalm in praise, saying,[a]
Bless the God who lives forever,
and bless his kingdom,
2 because he punishes and shows mercy.
He brings people[b] down to the underworld below the earth,
and he himself raises people
up from great destruction.
What is there that escapes
from his hand?[c]
3 Bear witness to him, Israelites,
in the presence of the nations,
because he has scattered you
among them,
4 and he has shown you
his greatness there.
Bring him honor in the presence
of everything that lives,
because he is our Lord:
he himself is our God;
he himself is our father,
and he is God forever and always.
5 He will punish you for your unjust acts,
but he will also show all of you mercy and gather you together[d]
out of all the nations among which you have been scattered.
6 When you turn to him
with all your heart and your all being
to act sincerely before him,
then he will turn to you and never
hide his face from you again.
And now, look at what
he has done for you,
and acknowledge him
in everything you say.[e]
Praise the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the king of the ages!
I will acknowledge him in the land where I am a captive
and make known his power
and greatness to a sinful nation.[f]
So turn around, you sinners,
and act justly before him.
Who knows?
Perhaps he will want you back
and show you mercy.
7 My soul exalts my God,
the king of heaven,
and my soul will rejoice
all the days of my life.
8 Praise the Lord, all you chosen ones,
and let everyone
praise his greatness.
Let them speak through psalms,[g]
use your days for rejoicing,
and acknowledge him.
9 He has punished you, Jerusalem, holy city,
because of the deeds of your hands.[h]
10 Acknowledge the Lord in goodness,
and praise the Lord of ages!
Then[i] your dwelling will be rebuilt
for you with joy.
He will bring joy to
all the captives among you,
and he will love for all eternity
all those who have been subjugated.
11 A bright light will shine forth
into the farthest corners of the earth.
Many nations will come to you
from afar,
and inhabitants from all the ends
of the earth will come
to your holy name.
They will bear gifts in their hands
for the king of heaven.
Generation after generation
will give joyful worship to you
and honor your name forever and always.
12 May all who have despised you
and slandered you be cursed!
Cursed are all who hate you and all who speak a harsh word against you.[j]
But all who revere you
will be blessed for eternity.
13 Rejoice then and be glad[k]
for the children of the righteous,
for all will be gathered together
and praise the eternal Lord.
14 Favored by God are those who love you,
favored are those who rejoice
when you are at peace,
and favored are all the people
who grieve when you are afflicted,
for they will rejoice over you
and will see all your joy forever.
15 I praise the Lord, the great king!
16 Jerusalem will be built as a city,
God’s house for all ages to come.
I will be greatly favored
when the few remaining from
my offspring see your glory
and acknowledge the king of heaven!
The gates of Jerusalem will be built
with sapphire and emerald,
and all your walls
will be made of precious stone.
The towers of Jerusalem
will be built with gold,
and their fortifications will be made of pure gold.
17 The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with garnet and stone from Ophir.
18 And the gates of Jerusalem will burst into song with joyful hymns,
and all her houses will shout out,
“Hallelujah!
May the God of Israel be praised,
and may those who bless the holy name be blessed forever and always!”
Footnotes
- Tobit 13:1 LXX2 omits and … saying.
- Tobit 13:2 Gk lacks people.
- Tobit 13:2 DSS Heb; LXX1,2 nothing will escape his hand.
- Tobit 13:5 OL; LXX2 omits and … together; Vulg and he will save us on account of his mercy
- Tobit 13:6 Gk with your whole mouth
- Tobit 13:6 OL; LXX1 to a nation of sinners
- Tobit 13:8 DSS Heb; OL omits line.
- Tobit 13:9 OL; LXX1 reads for 13:7–9 I will exalt my God, and my whole being will exalt the king of heaven and rejoice on account of his greatness. (8)Let all speak and bear witness to him in Jerusalem. (9)Jerusalem, holy city, he will punish you because of the deeds of your children, but he will again show mercy to the children of those who are righteous.
- Tobit 13:10 Gk and; OL so that
- Tobit 13:12 OL, cf DSS Heb; LXX2 May everyone be cursed who speaks a harsh word. All who destroy you and tear down your walls, who topple your towers and set your homes on fire, will be cursed.
- Tobit 13:13 DSS Heb, OL, LXX1; LXX2 Go then and be joyful.