The Book of Tobias — Liber Tobiæ
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Chapter 12
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Douay-Rheims><Vulgate><Knox Bible
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Then Tobias called to him his son, and said to him: What can we give to this holy man, that is come with thee?
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Et per septem dies epulantes, omnes cum gaudio magno gavisi sunt.
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And now Tobias took his son aside and asked him, What payment shall we make to this heaven-sent companion of thine?
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Tobias answering, said to his father: Father, what wages shall we give him? or what can be worthy of his benefits?
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Tunc vocavit ad se Tobias filium suum, dixitque ei: Quid possumus dare viro isti sancto, qui venit tecum?
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Payment? answered he; why, what reward can ever suffice for all the services he did me?
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He conducted me and brought me safe again, he received the money of Gabelus, he caused me to have my wife, and he chased from her the evil spirit, he gave joy to her parents, myself he delivered from being devoured by the fish, thee also he hath made to see the light of heaven, and we are filled with all good things through him. What can we give him sufficient for these things?
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Respondens Tobias, dixit patri suo: Pater, quam mercedem dabimus ei? aut quid dignum poterit esse beneficiis ejus?
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He it was that escorted me safely, going and coming; recovered the debt from Gabelus; won me my bride; rid her of the fiend’s attack; engaged the gratitude of her parents; rescued me from the fish’s onslaught; and to thee restored the light of day. Through him, we have been loaded with benefits; is it possible to make any return for all these?
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But I beseech thee, my father, to desire him, that he would vouchsafe to accept of one half of all things that have been brought.
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Me duxit et reduxit sanum, pecuniam a Gabelo ipse recepit, uxorem ipse me habere fecit, et dæmonium ab ea ipse compescuit: gaudium parentibus ejus fecit, meipsum a devoratione piscis eripuit, te quoque videre fecit lumen cæli, et bonis omnibus per eum repleti sumus. Quid illi ad hæc poterimus dignum dare?
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Do this, father, at least; ask him to accept half of all the wealth that has come to us.
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So the father and the son calling him, took him aside: and began to desire him that he would vouchsafe to accept of half of all things that they had brought.
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Sed peto te, pater mi, ut roges eum, si forte dignabitur medietatem de omnibus quæ allata sunt, sibi assumere.
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So both of them, father and son, beckoned him aside, and would have prevailed on him to accept half of their new-found wealth.
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Then he said to them secretly: Bless ye the God of heaven, give glory to him in the sight of all that live, because he hath shewn his mercy to you.
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Et vocantes eum, pater scilicet et filius, tulerunt eum in partem: et rogare cœperunt ut dignaretur dimidiam partem omnium quæ attulerant acceptam habere.
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But he, with a finger on his lip, bade them give their thanks to the God of heaven. To him, he said, offer your praises for all men to hear; he it is that has shewn mercy to you.
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For it is good to hide the secret of a king: but honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.
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Tunc dixit eis occulte: Benedicite Deum cæli, et coram omnibus viventibus confitemini ei, quia fecit vobiscum misericordiam suam.
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Kings have their counsel that must be kept secret; God’s ways are open, and he honours them best who proclaims them openly.
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Prayer is good with fasting and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold:
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Etenim sacramentum regis abscondere bonum est: opera autem Dei revelare et confiteri honorificum est.
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Prayer, fasting, and alms, said he, here is better treasure to lay up than any store of gold.
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For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting.
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Bona est oratio cum jejunio, et eleemosyna magis quam thesauros auri recondere:
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Almsgiving is death’s avoiding, is guilt’s atoning, is the winning of mercy and of life eternal;
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But they that commit sin and iniquity, are enemies to their own soul.
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quoniam eleemosyna a morte liberat, et ipsa est quæ purgat peccata, et facit invenire misericordiam et viam æternam.
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the sinners, the wrong-doers, are enemies to their own souls.
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I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you.
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Qui autem faciunt peccatum et iniquitatem, hostes sunt animæ suæ.
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Come, let me tell you the whole truth of the matter, bring the hidden purpose of it to light.
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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.
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Manifesto ergo vobis veritatem, et non abscondam a vobis occultum sermonem.
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When thou, Tobias, wert praying, and with tears, when thou wert burying the dead, leaving thy dinner untasted, so as to hide them all day in thy house, and at night give them funeral, I, all the while, was offering that prayer of thine to the Lord.
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And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.
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Quando orabas cum lacrimis, et sepeliebas mortuos, et derelinquebas prandium tuum, et mortuos abscondebas per diem in domo tua, et nocte sepeliebas eos, ego obtuli orationem tuam Domino.
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Then, because thou hadst won his favour, needs must that trials should come, and test thy worth.
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And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son’s wife from the devil.
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Et quia acceptus eras Deo, necesse fuit ut tentatio probaret te.
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And now, for thy healing, for the deliverance of thy son’s wife Sara from the fiend’s attack, he has chosen me for his messenger.
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For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.
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Et nunc misit me Dominus ut curarem te, et Saram uxorem filii tui a dæmonio liberarem.
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Who am I? I am the angel Raphael, and my place is among those seven who stand in the presence of the Lord.
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And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear they fell upon the ground on their face.
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Ego enim sum Raphaël angelus, unus ex septem qui adstamus ante Dominum.
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Upon hearing this, they were both mazed with terror, and fell down trembling, face to earth.
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And the angel said to them: Peace be to you, fear not.
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Cumque hæc audissent, turbati sunt, et trementes ceciderunt super terram in faciem suam.
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Peace be with you, the angel said; do not be afraid.
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For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him.
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Dixitque eis angelus: Pax vobis: nolite timere.
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It was God’s will, not mine, brought me to your side; to him pay the thanks and praise you owe.
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I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you: but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men.
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Etenim cum essem vobiscum, per voluntatem Dei eram: ipsum benedicite, et cantate illi.
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I was at your side, eating and drinking, but only in outward show; the food, the drink I live by, man’s eyes cannot see.
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It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me: but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works.
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Videbar quidem vobiscum manducare et bibere: sed ego cibo invisibili, et potu qui ab hominibus videri non potest, utor.
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And now the time has come when I must go back to him who sent me; give thanks to God, and tell the story of his great deeds.
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And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more.
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Tempus est ergo ut revertar ad eum qui me misit: vos autem benedicite Deum, et narrate omnia mirabilia ejus.
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With that, he was caught away from their eyes, and no more might they see of him.
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Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God: and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.
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Et cum hæc dixisset, ab aspectu eorum ablatus est, et ultra eum videre non potuerunt.
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For three hours together, face to earth, they gave thanks to God; and when they rose up, it was to tell the story of all these marvels.