Tobit 3

¹Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears,

²Saying, Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment:

³And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.

⁴For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us.

⁵And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee.

⁶And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live.

⁷Now it happened on the same day, that Sara daughter of Raguel, in Rages a city of the Medes, received a reproach from one of her father's servant maids,

⁸Because she had been given to seven husbands and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her.

⁹So when she reproved the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying: May we never see son, or daughter of thee upon the earth, thou murderer of thy husbands.

¹⁰Wilt thou kill me also, as thou hast already killed seven husbands? At these words, she went into an upper chamber of her house: and for three days and three nights did neither eat nor drink:

¹¹But continuing in prayer with tears besought God, that he would deliver her from this reproach.

¹²And it came to pass on the third day when she was making an end of her prayer, blessing the Lord,

¹³She said: Blessed is thy name, O God of our fathers, who when thou hast been angry, wilt shew mercy, and in the time of tribulation forgivest the sins of them that call upon thee.

¹⁴To thee, O Lord, I turn my face, to thee I direct my eyes.

¹⁵I beg, O Lord, that thou loose me from the bond of this reproach, or else take me away from the earth.

¹⁶Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never coveted a husband, and have kept my soul clean from all lust.

¹⁷Never have I joined myself with them that play: neither have I made myself partaker with them that walk in lightness.

¹⁸But a husband I consented to take, with thy fear, not with my lust.

¹⁹And either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me: because perhaps thou hast kept me for another man,

²⁰For thy counsel is not in man's power.

²¹But this every one is sure of that worshippeth thee, that his life, if it be under trial, shall be crowned and if it be under tribulation, it shall be delivered: and if it be under correction, it shall be allowed to come to thy mercy.

²²For thou art not delighted in our being lost, because after a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness.

²³Be thy name, O God of Israel, blessed for ever,

²⁴At that time the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God:

²⁵And the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord.

Tobit 3

¹Then Tobit sighed, and he began to pray with tears,

²saying, “O Lord, you are just and all your judgments are just, and all your ways are mercy, and truth, and judgment.

³And now, O Lord, remember me, and do not take vengeance for my sins, and do not call to mind my offenses, nor those of my parents.

⁴For we have not obeyed your precepts, and so we have been handed over to plundering and to captivity, and to death, and to mockery, and as a disgrace before all the nations, among which you have dispersed us.

⁵And now, O Lord, great are your judgments. For we have not acted according to your precepts, and we have not walked sincerely before you.

⁶And now, O Lord, do with me according to your will, and order my spirit to be received in peace. For it is more expedient for me to die, than to live.”

⁷And so, on the same day, it happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Rages, a city of the Medes, also heard a reproach from one of her father’s servant maids.

⁸For she had been given to seven husbands, and a demon named Asmodeus had killed them, as soon as they had approached her.

⁹Therefore, when she corrected the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying, “May we never see son or daughter from you upon the earth, you murderess of your husbands.

¹⁰Would you also kill me, just as you have already killed seven husbands?” At these words, she proceeded to an upper room of her house. And for three days and three nights, she did not eat or drink.

¹¹But, continuing in prayer with tears, she beseeched God, so that he would liberate her from this reproach.

¹²And it happened on the third day, while she was completing her prayer, blessing the Lord,

¹³that she said: “Blessed is your name, O God of our fathers, who, though you had been angry, will show mercy. And in time of tribulation, you dismiss the sins of those who call upon you.

¹⁴To you, O Lord, I turn my face; to you, I direct my eyes.

¹⁵I beg you, O Lord, that you may absolve me from the chains of this reproach, or at least take me away from the earth.

¹⁶You know, O Lord, that I have never coveted a husband, and I have preserved my soul clean from all impure desire.

¹⁷I have never mingled myself with those who play. And I have not presented myself as a participant with those who walk with levity.

¹⁸But I consented to accept a husband, in your fear, not in my lust.

¹⁹And, either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me. For perhaps you have preserved me for another husband.

²⁰For your counsel is not within the ability of man.

²¹But all who worship you are certain of this: that one’s life, if it should be tested, shall be crowned, and if it should be in tribulation, shall be delivered, and if it should be corrected, shall be permitted to approach your mercy.

²²For you are not delighted with our perdition. For, after a storm, you create tranquility, and after tears and weeping, you pour out exultation.

²³May your name, O God of Israel, be blessed forever.”

²⁴At that time, the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God.

²⁵And the holy Angel of the Lord, Raphael, was sent to care for both of them, whose prayers were recited at the same time in the sight of the Lord.