Tobit 11  New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

Homeward Journey

11 When they came near to Kaserin, which is opposite Nineveh, Raphael said, ² ‘You are aware of how we left your father. ³ Let us run ahead of your wife and prepare the house while they are still on the way.’ ⁴ As they went on together Raphael^[a] said to him, ‘Have the gall ready.’ And the dog^[b] went along behind them.

⁵ Meanwhile, Anna sat looking intently down the road by which her son would come. ⁶ When she caught sight of him coming, she said to his father, ‘Look, your son is coming, and the man who went with him!’

Tobit’s Sight Restored

⁷ Raphael said to Tobias, before he had approached his father, ‘I know that his eyes will be opened. ⁸ Smear the gall of the fish on his eyes; the medicine will make the white films shrink and peel off from his eyes, and your father will regain his sight and see the light.’

⁹ Then Anna ran up to her son and threw her arms around him, saying, ‘Now that I have seen you, my child, I am ready to die.’ And she wept. ¹⁰ Then Tobit got up and came stumbling out through the courtyard door. Tobias went up to him, ¹¹ with the gall of the fish in his hand, and holding him firmly, he blew into his eyes, saying, ‘Take courage, father.’ With this he applied the medicine on his eyes, ¹² and it made them smart.^{[c] 13} Next, with both his hands he peeled off the white films from the corners of his eyes. Then Tobit^[d] saw his son and^[e] threw his arms around him, ¹⁴ and he wept and said to him, ‘I see you, my son, the light of my eyes!’ Then he said,

So Tobit went in rejoicing and praising God at the top of his voice. Tobias reported to his father that his journey had been successful, that he had brought the money, that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, and that she was, indeed, on her way there, very near to the gate of Nineveh.

¹⁶ Then Tobit, rejoicing and praising God, went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineveh. When the people of Nineveh saw him coming, walking along in full vigour and with no one leading him, they were amazed. ¹⁷ Before them all, Tobit acknowledged that God had been merciful to him and had restored his sight. When Tobit met Sarah the wife of his son Tobias, he blessed her saying, ‘Come in, my daughter, and welcome. Blessed be your God who has brought you to us, my daughter. Blessed be your father and your mother, blessed be my son Tobias, and blessed be you, my daughter. Come in now to your home, and welcome, with blessing and joy. Come in, my daughter.’ So on that day there was rejoicing among all the Jews who were in Nineveh. ¹⁸ Ahikar and his nephew Nadab were also present to share Tobit’s joy. With merriment they celebrated Tobias’s wedding feast for seven days, and many gifts were given to him.^[h]