TOḆIYAH 12

1 Then Toḇiyah called his son Toḇi, and said to him, “My son, see that the man who went with you receives his wages, and you must give him more.”

2 And Toḇi said to him, “Father, it is no trouble for me to give him half of that which I have brought,

3 for he has brought me to you again in safety, and healed my wife whole, and brought me the silver, and also healed you.”

4 Then the old man said, “It is due to him.”

5 So he called the messenger, and he said to him, “Take half of all that you have brought and go your way in peace.”

6  Then he took them both separately and said to them, “Baraḵ Elohim, praise Him, and exalt Him, and thank Him for what He has done for you in the sight of all who live. It is good to praise Elohim and exalt His Name, and esteem to show the works of Elohim; therefore do not be slow to praise Him.

7 “It is good to guard the secret of a sovereign, but it is esteem to reveal the works of Elohim. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

8 “Prayer is good with fasting and kind deeds and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give in kindness than to lay up gold;

9 for kindness delivers from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise kind deeds and righteousness shall be filled with life,

10 but those who sin are enemies to their own ḥai.

11 “Surely I shall keep naught from you; for I said, ‘It was good to guard the secret of a sovereign, but that it was esteemed to reveal the works of Elohim.’

12 “Now therefore, when you and Sarah your daughter-in-law prayed, I brought the remembrance of your prayers before the Qadosh One. And when you buried the dead, I was with you also.

13 “And when you did not delay to rise up and leave your dinner to go and cover the dead, your good deed was not hidden from me, but I was with you.

14 “And now Elohim has sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law.

15 “I am Repha’ĕl, one of the seven qodesh messengers, who present the prayers of the qodeshim, and who go in and out before the esteem of the Qadosh One.”

16 Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces; for they were afraid.

17 But he said to them, “Do not fear, for it shall be well with you; therefore praise Elohim!

18 Not because any favour of mine, but by the desire of our Elohim I came; therefore praise Him forever.

19 “All these days I appeared to you; and I neither ate nor drank, but you saw a vision.

20 “Now therefore give thanks to Elohim, for I go up to Him who sent me; but write all that has been done in a book.”

21 And when they arose, they saw him no more.

22 Then they praised the great and wondrous works of Elohim, and how the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had appeared to them.