القراءة بلغتين

ولَمَّا تَمَّ العُرْس، دَعا طوبيتُ طوبِيَّا ٱبنَه وقالَ لَه: «إِهتَمَّ، يا بُنَيَّ، بِدَفعِ الأُجرَةِ لِلرَّجُلِ الَّذي رافَقَكَ وبالإِضافةِ علَيها»

قالَ لَه: «يا أَبتِ، أَيَّ أُجرَةٍ أَدفَعُ لَه؟ لَن أَكونَ خاسِرًا حتَّى لو دَفَعتُ لَه نِصْفَ الأَموالِ الَّتي عادَ بِها معي

إِنَّه رَجَعَ بي سالِمًا وأَبْرَأَ ٱمرَأَتي وعادَ بِالمالِ معي وشَفاكَ. فأَيَّ أُجرَةٍ أَدفَعُ له لِهٰذا أَيضًا؟»

قالَ لَه طوبيت: «مِنَ العَدْلِ، يا بُنَيَّ، أَن يأخُذَ نِصْفَ كُلِّ ما عادَ بَه»

فدَعاه طوبِيَّا وقالَ لَه: «خُذْ نِصْفَ ما عُدْتَ بِه أُجرَةً لَكَ وٱمضِ سالِمًا»

حينئذٍ ٱنفَرَدَ بِهِمَا رافائيلُ فقالَ لَهما: «بارِكا اللهَ وسَبِّحاه أَمامَ جَميعِ الأَحياءِ لِكُلِّ ما أَحسَنَ بِه إِلَيكُما. بارِكا وعَظِّما ٱسمَه. أَخبِرا جَميعَ النَّاسِ بِأَعْمالِ اللهِ بِما يَجِبُ مِنَ الإِكْرام، ولا تَتَوانَيا في تَسْبيحِه

خَيْرٌ أَن يُكتَمَ سِرُّ المَلِك، أَمَّا أَعْمالُ الله فلا بُدَّ مِن كَشْفِها والٱعتِرافِ اللَّائِقِ بِها. إِصْنَعا الخَير، لا يُصِبْكُما سُوء

الصَّلاةُ مع الصَّومِ والصَّدَقةُ مع البِرِّ خَيرٌ مِنَ الغِنى مع الإِثْم. التَّصَدُّقُ خَيرٌ مِنِ ٱذِّخارِ الذَّهَب

الصَّدَقَةُ تُنَجِّي مِنَ المَوت وهي تُطَهِّرُ مِن كُلِّ خَطيئة. الَّذينَ يَتَصَدَّقونَ يَشبَعونَ مِنَ الحَياة

أَمَّا الَّذينَ يَرتَكِبونَ الخَطيئةَ والإِثْم فهُم أَعْداءُ أَنْفُسِهِم

سأُخبِرُكُما بِالحَقيقةِ كُلِّها ولَن أُخْفِيَ علَيكما أَيَّ شَيءٍ كان. سَبَقَ أَن أَعلَنتُ فقلتُ لَكُما: «خَيرٌ أَن يُكتَمَ سِرُّ المَلِك، أَمَّا أَعْمالُ الله فلا بُدَّ مِنَ الٱعتِرافِ بِها بِما يَجِبُ مِنَ التَّمْجيد

فحينَ كُنتَ تُصَلِّي أَنتَ وسارة، كُنتُ أَنا أَرفَعُ ذِكْرَ صَلاتِكُما إِلى حَضرَةِ مَجْدِ الرَّبّ، وكذٰلك حينَ كُنتَ تَدفِنُ المَوتى

وحينَما لم تَتَوانَ في القِيامِ وتَرْكِ المائِدَةِ والذَّهابِ لِدَفْنِ المَيْت، أُرسِلْتُ حينَئِذٍ إِلَيكَ لِأَمتَحِنَكَ

وفي الوَقْتِ نَفْسِه أَرسَلَني اللهُ لِأَشفِيَكَ وأُبرِئَ سارةَ كنَّتَكَ

أَنا رافائيل، أَحَدُ المَلائِكَةِ السَّبعةِ الواقِفينَ والدَّاخِلينَ في حَضرَةِ مَجْدِ الرَّبّ»

فٱرتاعَ الٱثْنانِ وسَقَطا على وَجهَيهِمَا مُرتَعِدَين

فقال لَهُما: «لا تَخافا، علَيكما السَّلام. بارِكا اللهَ لِلأَبَد

لَمَّا كُنتُ معكما، لم أَكُنْ بِفَضْلي أَنا، بل بِمَشيئَةِ الله. فبارِكاه هو طَوالَ الأَيَّامِ وسَبِّحاه

كُنتُمَا تَرَيانني آكُل، ولم يَكُنْ ذٰلك إِلَّا رُؤيةً تَرَيانِها

والآنَ فبارِكا الرَّبَّ على الأَرضِ وٱحمَدا الله. ها إِنِّي صاعِدٌ إِلى الَّذي أَرسَلَني. فدَوِّنا جَميعَ ما جَرى لَكُما». ثُمَّ صَعِدَ

وأَمَّا هُمَا فنَهَضا ولم يَعُدْ بإِمكانِهِما أَن يَرَياه. فكانا يُبارِكانِ اللهَ ويُسَبِّحانِه ويَحمَدانِه على جَميعِ تلكَ الأُمورِ العَظيمةِ الَّتي عَمِلَها، فقَد تَراءَى لَهُما مَلاكٌ مِن مَلائِكَةِ الله

And Tobit called his son Tobias, and said to him, “See, my child, that the man which went with you have his wages, and you must give him more.”

And he said to him, “Father, it is no harm to me to give him the half of those things which I have brought;

for he has led me for you in safety, and he cured my wife, and brought my money, and likewise cured you.”

The old man said, “It is due to him.”

And he called the angel, and said to him, “Take half of all that you have brought.”

Then he called them both privately, and said to them, “Bless God, and give him thanks, and magnify him, and give him thanks in the sight of all that live, for the things which he has done with you. It is good to bless God and exalt his name, showing forth with honor the works of God. Don’t be slack to give him thanks.

It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God. Do good, and evil won’t find you.

Good is prayer with fasting, alms, and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold.

Alms delivers from death, and it purges away all sin. Those who give alms and do righteousness will be filled with life;

but those who sin are enemies to their own life.

Surely I will conceal nothing from you. I have said, ‘It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God.’

And now, when you prayed, and Sarah your daughter-in-law, I brought the memorial of your prayer before the Holy One. When you buried the dead, I was with you likewise.

And when you didn’t delay to rise up, and leave your dinner, that you might go and cover the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me. I was with you.

And now God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law.

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

And they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces; for they were afraid.

And he said to them, “Don’t be afraid. You will all have peace; but bless God forever.

For I came not of any favor of my own, but by the will of your God. Therefore bless him forever.

All these days I appeared to you. I didn’t eat or drink, but you all saw a vision.

Now give God thanks, because I ascend to him who sent me. Write in a book all the things which have been done.”

Then they rose up, and saw him no more.

They confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.