Книга Товита

The Book of Tobit is so called because it contains the story of Tobit. Tobit came from the tribe of Nepheali, was in captivity and lived in Nineveh. He was merciful and pious; While in captivity, he did not eat food common with the pagans, but abstained. He was a buyer of supplies from King Snemessar, and left ten talents for safekeeping in Media with Gabael. Tobit was zealous in burying the dead of the Jews. Slandered before King Akhiril 15, he fled. Upon his return, he once buried the deceased and lay down behind the wall of the house; While he was lying with his eyes open as usual, the sparrows from above threw feces on his eyes, and a cataract formed on him, so that he could no longer see. At the same time, Raguel, his relative, had a daughter in Equatana, named Sarah. She was prevented from living in marriage by the evil spirit Asmodeus; he had already killed seven who took her for themselves. In great sorrow, the young woman prayed, and God sent her an assistant - Archangel Raphael. Tobit, having bequeathed to his son Tobias not to take a wife from anywhere except from his tribe and clan, gives him a receipt for ten talents and commands him to go and take them back. The son, not knowing the road and the person (to whom he had to go), goes out to look for a companion, and by Divine providence finds Raphael, who was standing in the square in the form of a man, and hires him as someone who knows the way. Thus, Archangel Raphael accompanies him in the form of a man, under the name of Azariah. When they reached the Tigris River, Tobiah wanted to go down into it to wash himself, but suddenly a large fish rushed at the young man. The angel told him to grab the fish, cut it, take out the liver, heart and gall and keep it. When the young man asked what was the use of them, the Angel answered: the liver and heart, if smoked with them, can drive away an evil spirit, and with bile you can remove a thorn. Thus, on the advice and assistance of the Angel, the young man receives Raguel’s daughter Sarah as his wife, having driven away with this incense the evil spirit that was bound by the Angel in the upper reaches of Egypt. Left with his wife, Tobias sends the imaginary Azariah to Media, receives ten talents through him and returns with him and his wife to his father. Upon his return, he anointed his father’s eyes with fish bile, and the thorn fell away, and Tobit immediately began to see. He became blind when he was fifty-eight years old, and received his sight when he was sixty-six. After he received his sight, the Angel revealed that he was not a man, but was sent from God to help them and Sarah. Having grown old, Tobit bequeathed to his son Tobias to retire to Media, in view of the impending destruction of Nineveh, predicted by the prophet Jonah, and, weakened, died 155 years old. His son Tobias, having moved to Media, buried his father-in-law and mother-in-law and, having received news of the destruction of Nineveh, died at the age of 107. This is where the book ends. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: