The Future King

¹There will be no way for them to escape from this time of trouble. The land of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali was once disgraced, but the future will bring honor to this region, from the Mediterranean eastward to the land on the other side of the Jordan, and even to Galilee itself, where the foreigners live.

²The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them.

³You have given them great joy, Lord; you have made them happy. They rejoice in what you have done, as people rejoice when they harvest grain or when they divide captured wealth.

⁴For you have broken the yoke that burdened them and the rod that beat their shoulders. You have defeated the nation that oppressed and exploited your people, just as you defeated the army of Midian long ago.

⁵The boots of the invading army and all their bloodstained clothing will be destroyed by fire.

⁶A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” “Prince of Peace.”

⁷His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace. He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of time. The Lord Almighty is determined to do all this.

The Lord Will Punish Israel

⁸The Lord has pronounced judgment on the kingdom of Israel, on the descendants of Jacob.

⁹All the people of Israel, everyone who lives in the city of Samaria, will know that he has done this. Now they are proud and arrogant. They say,

¹⁰“The brick buildings have fallen down, but we will replace them with stone buildings. The beams of sycamore wood have been cut down, but we will replace them with the finest cedar.”

¹¹The Lord has stirred up their enemies to attack them.

¹²Syria on the east and Philistia on the west have opened their mouths to devour Israel. Yet even so the Lord's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish.

¹³The people of Israel have not repented; even though the Lord Almighty has punished them, they have not returned to him.

¹⁴In a single day the Lord will punish Israel's leaders and its people; he will cut them off, head and tail.

¹⁵The old and honorable men are the head—and the tail is the prophets whose teachings are lies!

¹⁶Those who lead these people have misled them and totally confused them.

¹⁷And so the Lord will not let any of the young men escape, and he will not show pity on any of the widows and orphans, because all the people are godless and wicked and everything they say is evil. Yet even so the Lord's anger will not be ended, but his hand will still be stretched out to punish.

¹⁸The wickedness of the people burns like a fire that destroys thorn bushes and thistles. It burns like a forest fire that sends up columns of smoke.

¹⁹Because the Lord Almighty is angry, his punishment burns like a fire throughout the land and destroys the people, and it is each of us for ourselves.

²⁰Everywhere in the country people snatch and eat any bit of food they can find, but their hunger is never satisfied. They even eat their own children!

²¹The people of Manasseh and the people of Ephraim attack each other, and together they attack Judah. Yet even so the Lord's anger is not ended; his hand is still stretched out to punish.

¹You are doomed! You make unjust laws that oppress my people.

²That is how you keep the poor from having their rights and from getting justice. That is how you take the property that belongs to widows and orphans.

³What will you do when God punishes you? What will you do when he brings disaster on you from a distant country? Where will you run to find help? Where will you hide your wealth?

⁴You will be killed in battle or dragged off as prisoners. Yet even so the Lord's anger will not be ended; his hand will still be stretched out to punish.

The Emperor of Assyria as the Instrument of God

⁵The Lord said, “Assyria! I use Assyria like a club to punish those with whom I am angry.

⁶I sent Assyria to attack a godless nation, people who have made me angry. I sent them to loot and steal and trample the people like dirt in the streets.”

⁷But the Assyrian emperor has his own violent plans in mind. He is determined to destroy many nations.

⁸He boasts, “Every one of my commanders is a king!

⁹I conquered the cities of Calno and Carchemish, the cities of Hamath and Arpad. I conquered Samaria and Damascus.

¹⁰I reached out to punish those kingdoms that worship idols, idols more numerous than those of Jerusalem and Samaria.

¹¹I have destroyed Samaria and all its idols, and I will do the same to Jerusalem and the images that are worshiped there.”

¹²But the Lord says, “When I finish what I am doing on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, I will punish the emperor of Assyria for all his boasting and all his pride.”

¹³The emperor of Assyria boasts, “I have done it all myself. I am strong and wise and clever. I wiped out the boundaries between nations and took the supplies they had stored. Like a bull I have trampled the people who live there.

¹⁴The nations of the world were like a bird's nest, and I gathered their wealth as easily as gathering eggs. Not a wing fluttered to scare me off; no beak opened to scream at me!”

¹⁵But the Lord says, “Can an ax claim to be greater than the one who uses it? Is a saw more important than the one who saws with it? A club doesn't lift up a person; a person lifts up a club.”

¹⁶The Lord Almighty is going to send disease to punish those who are now well-fed. In their bodies there will be a fire that burns and burns.

¹⁷God, the light of Israel, will become a fire. Israel's holy God will become a flame, which in a single day will burn up everything, even the thorns and thistles.

¹⁸The rich forests and farmlands will be totally destroyed, in the same way that a fatal sickness destroys someone.

¹⁹There will be so few trees left that even a child will be able to count them.

A Few Will Come Back

²⁰A time is coming when the people of Israel who have survived will not rely any more on the nation that almost destroyed them. They will truly put their trust in the Lord, Israel's holy God.

²¹A few of the people of Israel will come back to their mighty God.

²²Even though now there are as many people of Israel as there are grains of sand by the sea, only a few will come back. Destruction is in store for the people, and it is fully deserved.

²³Yes, throughout the whole country the Sovereign Lord Almighty will bring destruction, as he said he would.

The Lord Will Punish Assyria

²⁴The Sovereign Lord Almighty says to his people who live in Zion, “Do not be afraid of the Assyrians, even though they oppress you as the Egyptians used to do.

²⁵In only a little while I will finish punishing you, and then I will destroy them.

²⁶I, the Lord Almighty, will beat them with my whip as I did the people of Midian at Oreb Rock. I will punish Assyria as I punished Egypt.

²⁷When that time comes, I will free you from the power of Assyria, and their yoke will no longer be a burden on your shoulders.”

The Invader Attacks

²⁸The enemy army has captured the city of Ai! They have passed through Migron! They left their supplies at Michmash!

²⁹They have crossed the pass and are spending the night at Geba! The people in the town of Ramah are terrified, and the people in King Saul's hometown of Gibeah have run away.

³⁰Shout, people of Gallim! Listen, people of Laishah! Answer, people of Anathoth!

³¹The people of Madmenah and Gebim are running for their lives.

³²Today the enemy are in the town of Nob, and there they are shaking their fists at Mount Zion, at the city of Jerusalem.

³³The Lord Almighty will bring them crashing down like branches cut off a tree. The proudest and highest of them will be cut down and humiliated.

³⁴The Lord will cut them down as trees in the heart of the forest are cut down with an ax, as even the finest trees of Lebanon fall!

Tobit and Anna Are Worried

¹Meanwhile, every day Tobit was keeping count of the time needed to travel to Rages and back. When the time was up and his son had not returned, Tobit said to his wife,

²What can be keeping him? Do you suppose Gabael has died? Maybe there is no one to give him the money.

³Tobit was very worried.

⁴Then Anna said, My son is dead. I'm sure of it. She began to weep and to mourn for Tobias,

⁵Oh, my son, the joy of my life, why did I ever let you leave home?

⁶Tobit tried to comfort her. Calm down, my dear, he said. Don't worry. He will be all right. Something unexpected is probably keeping them there longer than we counted on. Besides, his companion is a reliable man and a relative at that. Don't let yourself get so upset over him, dear. I'm sure he is already on his way home.

Departure from Ecbatana

⁷But she replied, Be quiet and leave me alone! Don't try to fool me. My son is dead. Each day she would rush out of the house to the road which Tobias had taken and would watch for him until sunset. She would let no one comfort her, and when she returned home she would weep and mourn for her son all night long, without sleeping. The two-week wedding feast which Raguel had promised to hold for his daughter Sarah came to an end. So Tobias went to him and asked, Please let me go home now. I'm certain my parents have given up all hope of ever seeing me again. Please, Raguel, let me go home to my father. I have already told you the condition he was in when I left.

⁸But Raguel answered, Stay, my son. Stay here with me. I will send messengers to your father to tell him that you are all right.

⁹But Tobias insisted, No, I can't! Please let me go back to my father.

¹⁰So Raguel gave Tobias his bride Sarah without further delay. He also gave Tobias half of everything he owned: slaves, cattle, sheep, donkeys, camels, clothes, money, and furniture.

¹¹Raguel embraced Tobias and sent them on their way with his blessing, Good-bye, my son. Have a safe journey. May the Lord of heaven protect you and Sarah. And may I live to see your children.

¹²Raguel then said to Sarah, Go with your husband and live in his parents' house. From now on they are as much your parents as your own mother and I are. Let me hear only good things about you as long as I live. After saying good-bye he sent them on their way. Then Edna said to Tobias, Tobias my dear child, may the Lord bring you safely home. And may he let me live to see your children. The Lord is my witness; I am placing my daughter in your care. Never, at any time in your life, do anything that would break her heart. Have a safe journey, Tobias. From now on, Sarah is your wife and I am your mother. May we all prosper as long as we live. Then Edna kissed them both and sent them safely on their way.

The Homecoming

¹When Tobias left, he was as happy as could be. He praised the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all the world, because his journey had been so successful, and he promised to honor Raguel and his wife as long as they lived. As they came near the city of Kaserin, just outside Nineveh,

²Raphael said, Tobias, you know the condition your father was in when we left him.

³We should go on ahead of your wife and get the house ready before everyone else arrives.

⁴Be sure to bring the fish's gall bladder with you. So they went on ahead, and Tobias' dog ran along with them.

⁵Meanwhile, Anna sat looking down the road for her son.

⁶Suddenly she saw him coming and she shouted out to Tobit, Look! Our son is coming, and his friend is with him!

⁷Before they reached Tobit, Raphael said to Tobias, Your father will be able to see again.

⁸Just put the fish's gall bladder on his eyes like a plaster. The medicine will make the white film shrivel up so that you can peel it off, and your father will then regain his eyesight.

⁹Anna ran to her son, threw her arms around him, and exclaimed, Now that I have seen you alive, my child, I can die in peace! And she wept for joy.

Tobit's Cure

¹⁰Tobit got up and stumbled out through the entrance of the courtyard.

¹¹Tobias went up to him, holding the fish's gall bladder in his hand. He blew on his father's eyes and steadied him. Don't worry now, father, he said.

^12-13Tobias then applied the gall, and beginning from the corners of Tobit's eyes, he peeled away the white film.

¹⁴Tobit threw his arms around Tobias' neck and wept for joy. Then he exclaimed, I can see you! My son, the light of my eyes! Praise God. Praise him for his greatness. Praise all his holy angels. May he continue to bless us. Praise all his angels forever.

¹⁵He brought this illness upon me, but now I can see my son Tobias! Then Tobias went happily into the house, praising God at the top of his voice. He told his father how successful he had been, that he had not only brought back the money, but had married Raguel's daughter Sarah, who was on her way and would soon arrive.

Sarah's Arrival

¹⁶Tobit was excited and praised God as he went out to meet his son's bride at the city gate. When the people of Nineveh saw him, they were amazed, because he was walking on his own, with no one leading him by the hand.

¹⁷Tobit praised God and told everyone how God in his mercy had restored his sight. When Tobit met Sarah, he greeted her, Welcome, daughter! Praise God for bringing you to us, my daughter. May God bless your father, as well as you and my son Tobias. Welcome to your new home. May you always be blessed with good health and happiness. Come in, daughter! It was a day of great joy for all the Jews of Nineveh.

¹⁸Tobit's nephews Ahikar and Nadab came by to share Tobit's happiness with him.

The Angel Raphael

¹When the wedding feast was over, Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, Son, be sure to pay your traveling companion, and don't forget to give him a bonus.

²Tobias asked him, Father, how much do you think I should pay him? I wouldn't mind giving him half of everything we brought back with us.

³He brought me back home safe and sound; he went to get the money for me from Gabael; he rid my wife of a demon; and he cured your blindness. How much of a bonus should I give him?

⁴Tobit answered, Give him half of what he helped you bring back. He well deserves that.

⁵Tobias then called Raphael and said to him, Here is half of what you helped me bring back. You have earned it; have a safe journey home.

⁶Then Raphael called the two men aside and said to them, Praise God and tell everyone about the good things he has done for you, so that they too will honor him and sing his praises. Let everyone know what God has done. Never stop praising him.

⁷It's a good idea to keep a king's secret, but what God does should be told everywhere, so that he may be praised and honored. If you do good, no harm will come to you.

⁸It is better to pray sincerely and to please God by helping the poor than to be rich and dishonest. It is better to give to the poor than to store up gold.

⁹Such generosity will save you from death and will wash away all your sins. Those who give to the poor will live full lives,

¹⁰but those who live a life of sin and wickedness are their own worst enemies.

¹¹I have already told you that a king's secret ought to be kept, but the things God does should be told to everyone. Now I will reveal to you the full truth and keep nothing back.

¹²Tobit, when you and Sarah prayed to the Lord, I was the one who brought your prayers into his glorious presence. I did the same thing each time you buried the dead.

¹³On the day you got up from the table without eating your meal in order to bury that corpse, God sent me to test you.

¹⁴But he also sent me to cure you and to rescue your daughter-in-law, Sarah, from her troubles.

¹⁵I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him.

¹⁶Tobit and Tobias were terrified and fell to the ground, trembling with fear.

¹⁷But Raphael said to them, Don't be afraid; everything is all right. Always remember to praise God.

¹⁸He wanted me to come and help you; I did not come on my own. So sing God's praises as long as you live.

¹⁹When you thought you saw me eating, I did not really eat anything; it only seemed so.

²⁰While you are on this earth, you must praise the Lord God and give him thanks. Now I must go back to him who sent me. Write down everything that has happened to you.

²¹Then Raphael disappeared into the sky. Tobit and Tobias stood up, but they could no longer see him.

²²They began to sing hymns of praise, giving thanks for all the mighty deeds God had done while his angel Raphael had been with them.

⁹Honest people are safe and secure, but the dishonest will be caught.

¹⁰Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace.

¹¹A good person's words are a fountain of life, but a wicked person's words hide a violent nature.

¹²Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.