Part 515

12:7. For it is good to hide the secret of a king: but honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.

12:8. Prayer is good with fasting and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold.

12:9. For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.

12:10. But they that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul.

12:11. I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you.

12:12. When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner, and hide the dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord.

12:13. And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.

12:14. And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son’s wife from the devil.

12:15. For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.

12:16. And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear they fell upon the ground on their face.

12:17. And the angel said to them: Peace be to you, fear not.

12:18. For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him.

12:19. I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men.

12:20. It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me: but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works.

12:21. And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more.

12:22. Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God, and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.

Tobias Chapter 13

Tobias the father praiseth God, exhorting all Israel to do the same. Prophesieth the restoration and better state of Jerusalem.

13:1. And Tobias the elder opening his mouth, blessed the Lord, and said: Thou art great O Lord, for ever, and thy kingdom is unto all ages.

13:2. For thou scourgest, and thou savest: thou leadest down to hell, and bringest up again: and there is none that can escape thy hand.

13:3. Give glory to the Lord, ye children of Israel, and praise him in the sight of the Gentiles:

13:4. Because he hath therefore scattered you among the Gentiles, who know not him, that you may declare his wonderful works, and make them know that there is no other almighty God besides him.

13:5. He hath chastised us for our iniquities: and he will save us for his own mercy.

13:6. See then what he hath done with us, and with fear and trembling give ye glory to him: and extol the eternal King of worlds in your works.

13:7. As for me, I will praise him in the land of my captivity: because he hath shewn his majesty toward a sinful nation,

13:8. Be converted therefore, ye sinners, and do justice before God, believing that he will shew his mercy to you.

13:9. And I and my soul will rejoice in him.

13:10. Bless ye the Lord, all his elect, keep days of joy, and give glory to him.