Tobit 3

1And being grieved, I wept, and I prayed in anguish, saying,

2You are righteous, Lord, and all your works and all your ways are mercy and truth, and you judge true and righteous judgment forever.

3Remember me and look upon me; do not punish me for my sins and my errors done in ignorance, and for those of my fathers, which they committed before you.

4For they disobeyed your commandments, and you gave us over to plunder and captivity and death, and to become a proverb of reproach among all the nations where we have been scattered.

5And now your judgments are many and true in dealing with me concerning my sins and the sins of my fathers, because we did not keep your commandments; for we did not walk in truth before you.

6And now deal with me according to what is pleasing to you. Command that my spirit be taken up, so that I may be released and become dust. For it is better for me to die than to live, because I have heard false reproaches, and there is great grief within me. Command that I be released now from this distress into the everlasting place, and do not turn your face away from me.

7On that same day it happened to Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Ecbatana of Media, that she too was reproached by her father's maidservants,

8because she had been given to seven husbands, and Asmodeus, the evil demon, killed them before they could be with her as with wives. And they said to her, “Do you not understand that you are choking your husbands? Already you have had seven, and you have not benefited from even one of them.”

9Why do you flog us? If they have died, go with them! May we never see a son or daughter from you forever.

10When she heard these things, she was deeply grieved, so that she wanted to hang herself. But she said, “I am my father’s only child. If I do this, it will be a disgrace to him, and I will bring his old age down with sorrow to Hades.”

11And she prayed by the window and said, “Blessed are you, Lord my God, and blessed is your holy and honored name forever; let all your works bless you forever.”

12And now, Lord, I have set my eyes and my face toward you.

13Tell me to release me from the earth, so that I may no longer hear reproach.

14You know, Lord, that I am pure from every sin and from a man,

15And I have not defiled my name, nor the name of my father, in the land of my captivity. I am my father’s only child, and he has no child who will inherit him, nor a near brother, nor does he have a son so that I might keep myself for him as a wife. Already seven have perished from me; why should I live? But if it does not seem good to you to put me to death, command that you look upon me and have mercy on me, and that I no longer hear reproach.

16And the prayer of both was heard before the Glory.

17of the great Raphael. And he was sent to heal the two: to remove the white films from Tobit's eyes, and to give Sarah daughter of Raguel to Tobiah son of Tobit as a wife, and to bind Asmodeus, the evil demon, because Tobiah was entitled to inherit her. At that same time Tobit returned and entered into his house, and Sarah daughter of Raguel came down from her upper room.

18Seek counsel from every wise person, and do not despise any useful counsel.

19And at all times bless the Lord God, and ask from him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For no nation has counsel, but the Lord himself gives all good things, and whomever he wills he humbles, as he wills. And now, child, remember my commandments, and do not let them be blotted out from your heart.

20And now I am showing you the ten talents of silver that I deposited with Gabael son of Gabrias in Rages of Media.

21And she was utterly grieved, so that she wept.