SESSION SIXTEEN: 8:19-11:18 The wedding and the return

8:19 He asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread; he himself went out to the herd and picked out two steers and four rams which he ordered to be slaughtered. So the servants began to prepare the feast. 20 He summoned Tobiah and made an oath in his presence, saying: “For fourteen days you shall not stir from here, but shall remain here eating and drinking with me; and you shall bring joy to my daughter’s sorrowing spirit. 21 Take, to begin with, half of whatever I own when you go back in good health to your father; the other half will be yours when I and my wife die. Be of good cheer, my son! I am your father, and Edna is your mother; and we belong to you and to your beloved now and forever. So be happy, son!”

9:1 Then Tobiah called Raphael and said to him: 2 “Brother Azariah, take along with you four servants and two camels and travel to Rages. Go to Gabael’s house and give him this bond. Get the money and then bring him along with you to the wedding celebration. 3 You witnessed the oath that Raguel has sworn; I cannot violate his oath. 4 For you know that my father is counting the days. If I should delay my return by a single day, I would cause him intense grief.”
5 So Raphael, together with the four servants and two camels, traveled to Rages in Media, where they stayed at Gabael’s house. Raphael gave Gabael his bond and told him about Tobit’s son Tobiah, and that he had married and was inviting him to the wedding celebration. Gabael promptly checked over the sealed moneybgs, and they placed them on the camels.
6 The following morning they got an early start and traveled to the wedding celebration. When they entered Raguel’s house, they found Tobiah reclining at table. He sprang up and greeted Gabael, who wept and blessed him, exclaiming: “O noble and good child, son of a noble and good, upright and charitable man, may the Lord grant heavenly blessing to you and to your wife, and to your wife’s father and mother. Blessed be God, because I have seen the very image of my cousin Tobit!”
10:1 Meanwhile, day by day, Tobit was keeping track of time Tobiah would need to go and to return. When the number of days was reached and his son did not appear, 2 he said, “I wonder what has happened. Perhaps he has been detained there; or perhaps Gabael is dead, and there is no one to give him the money.” 3 And he began to worry.
4 His wife Anna said, “My son has perished and is no longer among the living!” And she began to weep aloud and to wail over her son: 5 “Alas, my child, light of my eyes, that I let you make this journey!”
6 But Tobit kept telling her: “Hush, do not think about it, my love; he is safe! Probably they have to take care of some unexpected business there. The man who is traveling with him is trustworthy, and is one of our own kinsmen. So do not worry over him, my love. He will be here soon.”
7 But she retorted, “Stop it, and do not lie to me! My child has perished!” She would go out and keep watch all day at the road her son had taken, and she ate nothing. At sunset she would go back home to wail and cry the whole night through, getting no sleep at all.
Now at the end of the fourteen-day wedding celebration, which Raguel had sworn to hold for his daughter, Tobiah went to him and said: “Please let me go, for I know that my father and mother do not believe they will ever see me again. So I beg you, father, let me go back to my father. I have already told you how I left him.” 8Raguel said to Tobiah: “Stay, my child, stay with me. I am sending messengers to your father Tobit, and they will give him news of you.” 9But Tobiah insisted, “No, I beg you to let me go back to my father.”
10Raguel then promptly handed over to Tobiah Sarah his wife, together with half of all his property: male and female slaves, oxen and sheep, asses and camels, clothing, money, and household goods. 11He saw them safely off. Embracing Tobiah, he said to him: “Good-bye, my son. Have a safe journey. May the Lord of heaven grant prosperity to you and to your wife Sarah. And may I see children of yours before I die!” 12Then he kissed his daughter Sarah and said to her: “My daughter, honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law, because from now on they are as much your parents as the ones who brought you into the world. Go in peace, my daughter; let me hear good reports about you as long as I live.” Finally he said good-bye to them and sent them away.
13Then Edna said to Tobiah: “My child and beloved kinsman, may the Lord bring you back safely, and may I live long enough to see children of you and of my daughter Sarah before I die. Before the Lord, I entrust my daughter to your care. Never cause her grief at any time in your life. Go in peace, my child. From now on I am your mother, and Sarah is your beloved. May all of us be prosperous all the days of our lives.” She kissed them both and sent them away in peace.
14When Tobiah left Raguel, he was full of happiness and joy, and he blessed the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all, for making his journey so successful. Finally he said good-bye to Raguel and his wife Edna, and added, “May I honor you all the days of my life!”
11:1Then they left and began their return journey. When they were near Kaserin, just before Ninveh, 2Raphael said: “You know how we left your father. 3Let us hurry on ahead of your wife to prepare the house while the rest of the party are still on the way.” 4So they both went on ahead and Raphael said to Tobiah, “Have the gall in your hand!” And the dog ran along behind them.
5Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. 6When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father, “Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”
7Raphael said to Tobiah before he reached his father: “I am certain that his eyes will be opened. 8Smear the fish gall on them. This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”
9Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud. 10Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate. Tobiah went up to him 11with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. “Courage, father,” he said. 12Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, 13and it made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts. When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him, 14and wept. He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he said: “Blessed be God, and praised be his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised throughout all the ages, 15Because it was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!” Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobiah told his father that his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she was approaching the gate of Ninveh.
16Rejoicing and praising God, Tobit went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law. When the people of Ninveh saw him walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed. 17Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah, he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed is my son Tobiah, and blessed are you daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh. 18Ahiqar and his nephew Nadab also came to rejoice with Tobit. They celebrated Tobiah’s wedding feast for seven happy days, and he received many gifts.