Chapter 8
An Unusual Wedding Night. 1 When they had finished eating and drinking and were ready to retire, they escorted the young man from the dining room to the bedroom. 2 Then Tobiah recalled Raphael’s instructions. He removed the liver and heart of the fish from the bag where he had stored them, and he placed them on the embers of the incense. 3 The odor of the fish so repelled the demon that he fled to Upper Egypt.[a] However, Raphael followed him there and bound him hand and foot. Then he returned at once.
4 [b]When the girl’s parents had left the room and closed the door behind them, Tobiah got out of bed and said to Sarah, “Arise, my beloved. Let us pray and implore our Lord to grant us his mercy and protection.” 5 She got up, and they started to pray and ask that they might be kept safe. Tobiah began by saying:
“Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors;
may your name be praised forever and ever.
Let the heavens and everything you have created
praise you forever.
6 You made Adam, and you provided him with his wife Eve
to be his help and support,
and from these two the human race has sprung.
You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;
let us provide him with a helper like himself.’
7 And now I am taking this kinswoman as my wife
not out of lust
but with sincere love.
Grant that she and I may obtain mercy
and that we may reach a happy old age together.”
8 Then together they said, “Amen, amen,” 9 and they slept through the night.
But Raguel arose and summoned his servants, and they went outside and dug a grave, 10 for he said, “If Tobiah should die, we will be subjected to ridicule and scorn.” 11 When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went back into the house and summoned his wife, 12 saying, “Send one of the maids into the room to see whether Tobiah is still alive. If he should be dead, let us bury him so that no one will know anything about it.” 13 They summoned the maid, lit a lamp, and opened the bedroom door. After the maid went in and found them sound asleep together, 14 she came out and informed them that Tobiah was alive and that there was nothing wrong. 15 Then Raguel blessed the God of heaven with these words:
“Blessed are you, O God, with every pure blessing.
Let all your chosen ones bless you; let them bless you forever.
16 Blessed are you for having given me joy; that which I feared did not occur.
Rather you have dealt with us according to your great mercy.
17 Blessed are you for showing compassion
to two only children.
Be merciful to them, Master, and keep them safe;
allow them to live their lives fully
in happiness and in mercy.”
18 Then he instructed his servants to fill in the grave before daybreak.
19 The Great Wedding Feast. Having asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread, Raguel went out to his flock and selected two oxen and four rams and ordered them to be slaughtered. Thus they began to prepare for the feast.
20 Then he called Tobiah and swore an oath to him: “You shall not depart from here for fourteen days.[c] Rather, you shall stay here eating and drinking with me, and you shall bring joy to my daughter’s heart after all the suffering she has endured. 21 Take at once half of everything I possess,[d] and then return with her safe and sound to your father. When my wife and I are dead, you will inherit the other half. Have courage, my son. I am your father and Edna is your mother, and now and forever we belong to you just as much as we belong to your wife. Have courage, my son.”
Footnotes
- Tobit 8:3 Upper Egypt: possibly refers to the Sahara Desert. Infecund and therefore “cursed,” deserts were believed to be the dwelling of demons (see Isa 13:21; Mt 4:1; 12:43). The bonds indicate that the devil has been rendered impotent.
- Tobit 8:4 The Vulgate reads (vv. 4-6): “4Then Tobiah exhorted his bride: ‘Sarah, arise and let us pray to God today, and tomorrow, and the next day. These three nights are set apart for our union with God. When the third night is over, we will be joined in one, you and I. 5For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens who do not know God.’ 6So they both arose and prayed earnestly together that health might be given their union.”
- Tobit 8:20 Fourteen days: the duration of the festivities, which normally would take place in the house of the groom, is doubled from one week (see Gen 29:27; Jdg 14:12) to two. They will then be repeated according to custom (Tob 11:18).
- Tobit 8:21 Half of everything I possess: in contrast to the accounts of the patriarchs (Gen 24), the text here does not speak of a sum given by the fiancé to his betrothed’s father; on the contrary, it is the latter who gives a dowry to his daughter.