Vision of the New Times
The Canticle of Tobit[a]
Chapter 13
Call for Conversion from Sin. 1 Then Tobit in his joy composed this prayer:
“Blessed be God who lives forever,
for his kingdom endures throughout all ages.
2 For he both punishes and forgives;
he consigns people to the depths of Hades
and brings them up from the great abyss.
Nothing can escape his hand.
3 “Praise him, you Israelites, before the nations,
for though he has scattered you among them,
4 he has shown you his greatness even there.
Exalt him in the presence of every living creature,
for he is our Lord and our God;
he is our Father and our God forever.
5 He will scourge you for your iniquities,
but he will again show his mercy to all of you.
He will gather you from all the nations
among whom you have been dispersed.
6 “If you turn to him with all your heart and soul
to do what is right in his presence,
then he will turn to you
and will no longer hide his face from you.
So now consider what he has done for you
and shout your praises to him.
Bless the Lord of justice
and exalt the King of the ages.
“In the land of my exile I sing his praise
and make known his power and majesty to a sinful nation:
Turn back, you sinners, and be upright in your conduct before him;
perhaps he will then look upon you with favor
and show you mercy.
7 “As for me, I exalt my God,
and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven.
8 Let all people declare his majesty
and sing his praises in Jerusalem.
9 “O Jerusalem, holy city,
he scourged you for the deeds of your hands,
but he will again show mercy on the children of the righteous.
10 “Give thanks to the Lord for his goodness,
and bless the King of the ages,
so that his tabernacle may be rebuilt with joy within you.
May he offer comfort to all of your exiles,
and may he love all those within you who are in distress
for all generations to come.
The New Jerusalem, Light of the Nations
11 “A bright light will shine over all the regions of the earth;
many nations will come to you from afar,
drawn to your holy name, Lord God, from every corner of the earth,
bearing gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.
Generation after generation will give joyful praise to you,
and the name of your chosen city will endure forever through all ages.
12 Accursed are all who speak a harsh word against you;
accursed are all who destroy you
and pull down your walls,
all who overthrow your towers
and set your homes on fire;
but blessed forever are all those who rebuild you.
13 “Go, then, and rejoice over the children of the righteous,
for they will all be gathered together
and will praise the Lord of the ages.
14 Blessed are those who love you,
and blessed are those who rejoice in your prosperity.
Blessed are those who grieve over you
because of your afflictions.
For they will rejoice over you
and behold all your joy forever.
15 “Praise the Lord, the great King, my soul;
16 Jerusalem will be rebuilt as his dwelling place for all ages.
How happy I shall be if a portion of my descendants survive
to witness your glory and praise the King of heaven.
The gates of Jerusalem will be constructed of sapphire and emerald,
and all your walls with precious stones.
The towers of Jerusalem will be built of gold,
and their battlements with pure gold.
17 The streets of Jerusalem will be paved
with rubies and stones from Ophir.
18 The gates of Jerusalem will sing hymns of joy,
and all her houses shall cry out:
‘Alleluia. Blessed be the God of Israel.
In you his holy name will be blessed forever.’ ”
Footnotes
- Tobit 13:1 Tobit’s thanksgiving is expanded in a meditation on the work of God toward the people whom he has chosen and on the future of Jerusalem, the holy city, surpassing the framework of the family history.