Tobit 12

1 And Tobit called Tobias his son and said to him, “See to the wages of the man who traveled with you, child — and we must add something more for him.” 2 And he said to him, “Father, it does me no harm to give him half of what I have brought back, 3 because he has brought me back to you safe and sound, and he healed my wife, and he brought my money, and he healed you as well.”

4 And the old man said, “It is his by right.” 5 And he called the messenger and said to him, “Take half of everything you have brought back.” [a]

6 Then he called the two of them aside, alone, and said to them, “Bless God and give thanks to him; declare his greatness, and give thanks before all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to bless God and to lift up his name, telling out with honor what God has done; and do not be slow to give thanks to him. [c] 7 It is good to keep a king’s secret hidden, and to uncover the works of God with honor. Do good, and evil will not find you.

8 Prayer with fasting and acts of mercy and righteousness is good. Better a little with righteousness than much with unrighteousness. It is better to do an act of mercy than to store up gold. [d] 9 For an act of mercy rescues from death, and it will cleanse away every sin. Those who do acts of mercy and practice righteousness will be filled with life; † 10 but those who sin are enemies of their own life. 11 I will hide no word at all from you. I have said, ‘It is good to keep a king’s secret hidden, and to uncover the works of God with honor.’

12 And now, when you prayed — you and Sarah your daughter-in-law — I brought the remembrance of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, in the same way I was there beside you. † 13 And when you did not hesitate to get up and leave your meal to go and lay out the dead, your good work did not escape me; I was with you. 14 And now God has sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law. 15 I am Raphael, one of the seven holy messengers who carry up the prayers of the holy ones and go in before the glory of the Holy One.”

16 And the two of them were shaken, and they fell on their faces, for they were afraid. 17 And he said to them, “Do not be afraid; peace will be yours. Bless God for ever. [e] 18 For I did not come by any favor of my own, but by the will of our God; so bless him for ever. 19 All those days I was seen by you, and I did not eat or drink — what you were looking at was a vision. 20 And now give thanks to God, because I am going up to the one who sent me; and write in a book everything that has been done.”

21 And they got up, and they saw him no more. 22 And they gave thanks for the great and wonderful works of God, and for how the messenger of the Lord had appeared to them.