Tobit 6

1 As they went on their way, they came in the evening to the river Tigris, and they camped there. 2 And the young man went down to wash himself, and a fish leaped up out of the river and meant to swallow him. [a]

3 Then the messenger said to him, “Take hold of the fish.” And the young man caught the fish and threw it up onto the land. [b] 4 And the messenger said to him, “Cut the fish open, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put them away safely.” 5 And the young man did as the messenger told him; and they roasted the fish and ate it. 6 And the two of them traveled on until they drew near to Ecbatana. [c]

7 And the young man said to the messenger, “Brother Azariah, what are the liver and the heart and the gall of the fish for?” 8 And he said to him, “The heart and the liver — if a demon or an evil spirit troubles anyone, you must make smoke with these before the man or the woman, and the trouble will not come back. [d] 9 And the gall is for rubbing on a man who has white films on his eyes, and he will be healed.”

10 And when they came near to Rages, 11 the messenger said to the young man, “Brother, today we will lodge with Raguel. He is your kinsman, and he has an only daughter, named Sarah. [e] 12 I will speak about her, so that she may be given to you as a wife, because her inheritance falls to you, and you alone are of her family; and the girl is beautiful and sensible. 13 And now listen to me, and I will speak to her father; and when we come back from Rages we will hold the wedding. For I know Raguel: he will not give her to another man, by the law of Moses, or he will owe death, because it falls to you rather than to any other man to take the inheritance.” [f]

14 Then the young man said to the messenger, “Brother Azariah, I have heard that the girl has been given to seven men, and that they all died in the bridal chamber. 15 And now I am my father’s only son, and I am afraid that if I go in to her I will die, as the ones before me did; for a demon loves her, and it harms no one except those who come near her. So now I am afraid that I will die, and bring my father’s life and my mother’s life down to their grave with grief over me; and they have no other son to bury them.”

16 And the messenger said to him, “Do you not remember the words your father commanded you — that you were to take a wife from your own family? So now listen to me, brother: she will be given to you as a wife, and take no account of the demon, because this very night she will be given to you in marriage. 17 And when you go into the bridal chamber, take ashes of incense, and lay on them some of the heart and the liver of the fish, and make smoke; and the demon will smell it and flee, and will never come back for ever and ever. 18 And when you go to her, the two of you rise up and cry out to the merciful God, and he will save you and have mercy on you. Do not be afraid, for she was made ready for you from the beginning; and you will save her, and she will go with you; and I suppose that you will have children by her.” 19 And when Tobias heard this, he loved her, and his soul clung to her closely. [g]