answered: “I know it.” Then the young Tobias introduced him to his father, who asked him: “Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus, at Rages?”
The young man replied: “I will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee.” Then Tobias blessed the two young men, praying: “May you have a good journey; may God be with you on your way, and may His Angel[1] accompany you.” Then they both set out on their journey, and the dog followed them. But his mother wept and said to her husband: “Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and hast sent him away.”
On the evening of the first day the travellers reached the banks of the river Tigris. Tobias, heated and warm, sat down on the bank and put his feet[2] into the water. Suddenly an enormous fish came up to devour him[3]. Tobias cried out to the Angel: “Sir, he cometh upon me!” The Angel, seeing his terror, exclaimed: “Take him by the gill and draw him to thee.” He did so, and when the fish lay panting before his feet, the Angel said: “Take out his heart, his gall and his liver, for these are useful medicines.” Then, making a fire, Tobias broiled some of the fish, which furnished a repast; then he salted a portion of what remained, to serve as provision for the journey.
When they came to a certain city, Tobias said to his guide: “Where wilt thou that we lodge?” The Angel answered: “There is here a man named Raguel, a kinsman of thy tribe, who has a daughter named Sara: and thou must take her to wife.” Tobias replied: “I hear that she hath been given to seven husbands, and they all died, and a devil killed each of them on the night of his wedding.”
Tobias said this, because he was the only son of his aged parents, and if such a misfortune should befall him, it would bring down their old age with sorrow to the grave. The Angel answered that the devil had such power over those who in their marriage banish God from their heart, and think only of gratifying
- ↑ His Angel. The idea of a guardian angel was quite familiar to the good Israelites from the days of the Patriarchs and of their deliverance from Egypt. But Tobias had no suspicion that his pious prayer had been answered even before it was uttered.
- ↑ His feet. To wash off the dust and take away the fatigue.
- ↑ To devour him. It opened wide its jaws, as if it were going to devour Tobias.
