Tobit 12

¹Thanne Tobie clepide to hym his sone, and seide to hym, What moun we yyue to this hooli man, that cam with thee?

²Tobie answeride, and seide to his fadir, Fadir, what meede schulen we yyue to hym, ether what mai be worthi to hise benefices?

³He ledde, and `brouyte me hool ayen; he resseyuede of Gabelus the monei; he made me to haue a wijf, and he droof awei the feend fro hir; he made ioie to hir fadir and moder; he delyuerede `my silf fro the deuouryng of a fisch; and he made thee to se the liyt of heuene; and we ben fillid with alle goodis bi hym; what thing worthi to these thingis moun we yyue to hym?

⁴But, fadir, Y axe thee, that thou preie hym, if perauenture he schal vouche saaf to take to hym the half of alle thingis, what euer thingis ben brouyt.

⁵And the fadir and the sone clepiden hym, and token hym asidis half, and bigunnen to preie, that he wolde vouche saaf to haue acceptable the half part of alle thingis, whiche thei hadden brouyt.

⁶Thanne he seide to hem priueli, Blesse ye God of heuene, and knouleche ye to hym bifor alle men lyuynge, for he hath do his merci with you.

⁷For it is good to hide the priuyte of a kyng; but it is worschipful to schewe and knowleche the werkis of God.

⁸Preier is good with fastyng, and almes, more than to hide tresouris of gold;

⁹for whi almes delyuereth fro deth, and thilke almes it is that purgith synnes, and makith to fynde euerlastynge lijf.

¹⁰Forsothe thei that doon synne and wickidnesse, ben enemyes of her soule.

¹¹Therfor Y schewe trewthe to you, and Y schal not hide fro you a pryuy word.

¹²Whane thou preyedist with teeris, and biryedist deed men, and `forsokist the meete, and hiddist deed men bi dai in thin hows, and biriedist `in the nyyt, Y offride thi preier to the Lord.

¹³And for thou were acceptable to God, it was nedeful that temptacioun schulde preue thee.

¹⁴And now the Lord sente me `for to cure thee, and to delyuere Sare, the wijf of thi sone, fro the fend.

¹⁵For Y am Raphael, the aungel, oon of the seuene that ben present bifor the Lord.

¹⁶And whanne thei hadden herd this, thei weren disturblid, and felden tremblynge on her face.

¹⁷And the aungel seide to hem, Pees be to you, nyle ye drede;

¹⁸for whanne Y was with you, Y was bi Goddis wille. Blesse ye hym, and synge ye to hym.

¹⁹Sotheli Y semyde to ete and drynke with you; but Y vse vnuysible meete, and drynk that mai not be seyn of men.

²⁰Therfor it is tyme, that Y turne ayen to hym, that sente me; but blesse ye God, and telle ye out alle hise merueils; blesse ye hym, and synge ye to hym.

²¹And whanne he hadde seide these thingis, he was takun awei fro her siyt; and thei myyten no more se hym.

²²Thanne thei felden doun `bi thre ouris on the face, and blessiden God; and thei risynge vp telden alle hise merueils.

Tobit 12

¹Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.

²And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought:

³For he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

⁴Then the old man said, It is due unto him.

⁵So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that ye have brought and go away in safety.

⁶Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not slack to praise him.

⁷It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

⁸Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:

⁹For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

¹⁰But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

¹¹Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to keep close the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the works of God.

¹²Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when thou didst bury the dead, I was with thee likewise.

¹³And when thou didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go and cover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.

¹⁴And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

¹⁵I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.

¹⁶Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

¹⁷But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praise God therefore.

¹⁸For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came; wherefore praise him for ever.

¹⁹All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision.

²⁰Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.

²¹And when they arose, they saw him no more.

²²Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them.