Rafaēls – Tobija pavadonis
1 Tad Tobijs atbildēja savam tēvam Tobitam, sacīdams: “Visu, ko tu man esi licis, tēvs, es darīšu. 2 Bet kā gan es varēšu paņemt no viņa sudrabu? Viņš taču nepazīst mani, un es nepazīstu viņu. Kādu zīmi lai dodu viņam, ka viņš mani pazītu un dotu man sudrabu? Arī ceļu uz mēdiešu zemi, kā turp noiet, es nezinu.” 3 Tobits atbildēja Tobijam, savam dēlam: “Viņš man ir iedevis ar savu roku rakstītu līgumu, un es viņam esmu iedevis savējo; un es to sadalīju divās daļas, un mēs katrs paņēmām savu daļu, un es to noliku kopā ar sudrabu, un, redzi, tagad ir pagājuši divdesmit gadi, kopš noguldīju sudrabu. Un nu, dēls, sameklē sev uzticamu cilvēku, kas ietu kopā ar tevi. Mēs viņam samaksāsim algu, kad tu pārnāksi mājās, tā ka atved šo sudrabu no Gabaēla.” 4 Un Tobijs izgāja meklēt cilvēku, kas ietu ar viņu uz mēdiešu zemi un zinātu ceļu turp. Izejot viņš satika eņģeli Rafaēlu stāvam viņa priekšā, bet viņš nezināja, ka tas ir Dieva eņģelis, 5 un jautāja viņam: “No kurienes tu esi, jaunekli?” Un tas viņam sacīja: “No Israēla dēliem, taviem cilts brāļiem, un esmu šeit ieradies, lai nopelnītu iztikai.” Tobijs jautāja: “Vai tu zini ceļu uz mēdiešu zemi?” 6 Un eņģelis viņam teica: “Jā, bieži tur esmu bijis, es pazīstu šo vietu un zinu labi visus ceļus, bieži esmu devies uz mēdiešu zemi un nakšņojis pie mūsu brāļa Gabaēla, kas dzīvo Ragos mēdiešu zemē, ko no Ekbatanas šķir divu dienu gājums, jo Ragi atrodas kalnos.” 7 Tobijs viņam sacīja: “Uzgaidi mani, jaunekli, kamēr es aizeju pie tēva un viņam izstāstu, jo man vajag, lai tu nāktu ar mani, es tev par to maksāšu algu.” 8 Viņš sacīja: “Ej, es pagaidīšu, tikai nevilcinies!” 9 Un, iegājis pie sava tēva, Tobijs viņam paziņoja: “Klau, es atradu cilvēku no maniem cilts brāļiem israēliešiem.” Un viņš sacīja: “Pasauc to cilvēku pie manis, lai es redzu, no kādas tautas un cilts viņš ir un vai ir uzticams, lai dotos ar tevi, dēls.” 10 Tobijs izgāja, atsauca viņu un sacīja viņam: “Jaunekli, tēvs tevi sauc.” Un eņģelis iegāja pie viņa, un Tobits viņu sveicināja pirmais. Eņģelis viņam sacīja: “Lai prieks ar jums pilnībā!” Un Tobits viņam atbildēja: “Kas man vairs paliek no prieka? Es esmu neredzīgs cilvēks un neredzu debesu gaismu, bet mītu tumsā kā mirušie, kas vairs neredz dienas gaismu; esmu dzīva būtne starp mirušiem, cilvēku balsis dzirdu, bet viņus neredzu.” Bet eņģelis viņam sacīja: “Esi možs, Dievs ir tuvu, lai tevi dziedinātu, esi možs.” Tobits viņam sacīja: “Mans dēls Tobijs grib doties uz mēdiešu zemi. Vai tu varēsi viņu pavadīt ceļā un aizvest viņu galā? Es tev došu algu, brāli.” Eņģelis viņam sacīja: “Es varēšu ceļot kopā ar viņu. Es zinu visus ceļus, jo bieži esmu devies uz mēdiešu zemi un esmu pārstaigājis visus tās līdzenumus un kalnus, un visus tās ceļus es pazīstu.” 11 Tobits jautāja viņam: “Brāli, no kādas tēvu zemes tu esi un no kādas cilts? To atklāj man, brāl!” 12 Eņģelis atbildēja: “Kādēļ tev vajadzīga mana cilts?” Un Tobits viņam sacīja: “Patiesi es gribu zināt, kādas tautas tu esi, brāl, un kāds ir tavs vārds.” 13 Un viņš atbildēja: “Es esmu Azarja, lielā Hananjas dēls, no taviem cilts brāļiem.” 14 Un Tobits sacīja viņam: “Esi sveiks, lai Dievs tevi sargā, brāli, un nepukojies, brāli, ka gribēju izdibināt patiesību par tavu tēvu. Tu izrādies esam mūsu cilts brālis, tu esi no krietnas un labas dzimtas, es pazinu lielā Semelija divus dēlus Hananju un Nātānu. Viņi pavadīja mani ceļā uz Jeruzālemi un kopā ar mani tur pielūdza Dievu un nestaigāja maldu ceļus. Tavi radinieki ir labi cilvēki, tu esi no labas saknes! Lai esi sveicināts šeit pie mums.” 15 Un viņš turpināja: “Es tev došu dienas algu vienu drahmu un visu nepieciešamo ceļam gan tev, gan manam dēlam. 16 Un tagad dodies ar manu dēlu ceļā, un pēc tam es vēl pielikšu pie tavas algas.” 17 Un eņģelis viņam sacīja: “Es došos ar viņu ceļā, un nebaidies, sveiki un veseli aiziesim un tādi paši arī atgriezīsimies pie tevis, tādēļ ka ceļš ir drošs.” Un Tobits sacīja: “Lai esi svētīts, brāli!” Un viņš piesauca klāt savu dēlu un sacīja viņam: “Dēliņ, sagatavo visu ceļam un dodies ar savu brāli ceļā, un Dievs debesīs jūs tur pasargās un atvedīs atpakaļ pie manis sveikus un veselus, un viņa eņģelis sargādams pavadīs jūs ceļā, dēliņ.” Un pirms došanās ceļā Tobijs noskūpstīja savu tēvu un māti un sacīja Tobitam: “Vesels es aizeju.” 18 Un viņa māte sāka raudāt un sacīja Tobitam: “Kādēļ tu tā dari, sūtīdams manu dēliņu? Vai tad viņš nav mūsu balsts, pie kā turamies, kad viņš ir ar mums vienmēr? 19 Nedzenies pēc sudraba! Lai tas ir mēsli salīdzinājumā ar mūsu dēlu. 20 Lai mums pietiek, ka no Kunga mums ir dota iespēja dzīvot.” 21 Bet Tobijs viņai sacīja: “Neiebilsti ne vārda! Drošībā mūsu dēliņš aizceļo, un sveiks un vesels viņš atgriezīsies pie mums, tavas acis viņu redzēs tajā pašā dienā, kad viņš sveiks un vesels atgriezīsies pie tevis, 22 ne vārda vairs, nebaidies par viņiem, mīļā, jo labais eņģelis viņam ies līdzi un veiksme viņu pavadīs ceļā, un sveiks un vesels viņš atgriezīsies.” 23 Un viņa mitējās raudāt.
Travel Preparations
1 Then Tobias answered his father, “I'll do everything you told me. 2 But how can I get the money back from Gabael? We have never even met each other. How can I prove to him who I am, so that he will trust me and give me the money? Besides that, I don't know how to get to Media.”
3 Tobit replied, “Gabael and I both signed a document. I then tore it in two, and we each took a half. I put his half with the money. That was twenty years ago! Now, go and find a reliable person to travel with you to Media and back, and we will pay him when you return. But you must get the money that I left with Gabael.”
Tobias Meets Raphael
4 Tobias then went out to look for someone who knew the way to Media and would travel with him. Almost as soon as he left the house, he found himself face-to-face with Raphael. Tobias did not know that Raphael was an angel of God, 5 so he asked him where he was from.
“I am an Israelite,” Raphael answered, “one of your distant relatives, and I have come here to Nineveh to find work.”
“Do you know the way to Media?” Tobias asked.
6 “Yes, I do,” Raphael replied. “I have been there many times, and I know all the roads well. I used to stay with our relative Gabael, who lives there in the town of Rages. It takes at least two days to travel there from Ecbatana, the capital city, because Rages is up in the mountains.”
7 Then Tobias said to Raphael, “Wait here for me, my friend, while I go in and tell my father. I would like for you to travel with me, and I will pay you for the journey.”
8 “All right,” Raphael said, “I'll wait, but don't take too long.”
9 Tobias went in and told his father, “I have found an Israelite to travel with me.”
“Call the man in,” Tobit replied. “I would like to know what family and tribe he belongs to, and whether he is a reliable traveling companion for you.”
Tobit Meets Raphael
So Tobias went out and called to Raphael, “My father would like to meet you.” When Raphael came in, Tobit greeted him first.
Then Raphael returned the greeting, “I hope all is well with you.”
But Tobit replied, “How can all be well with me? I'm blind and can't see a thing. It's like being dead and no longer able to see the light. I might as well be dead! I can hear people talking, but I can't see them.”
“Cheer up!” Raphael said to him. “God is going to cure you soon, so don't worry!”
Tobit then said, “My son Tobias wants to go to Media. Can you go with him and show him the way? I will pay you, of course.”
Raphael replied, “Certainly I can go with him. I have traveled there many times and I know all the roads in the mountains and on the plains.”
10 Tobit questioned him further, “Tell me, my friend, what family and tribe do you belong to?”
11 But Raphael asked, “Why do you need to know that?”
“Tell me the truth,” said Tobit. “What is your name, and who are you?”
12 Raphael replied, “My name is Azarias, and I am the son of the older Ananias, one of your relatives.”
13 Then Tobit said to him, “Welcome to our home! God bless you, my son. Please don't be offended because I wanted to know the truth about you and your family. As it turns out, you are from a good family and a relative at that! I knew Ananias and Nathan, the two sons of the older Shemaiah. They were always loyal to their religion. We used to travel together to Jerusalem and worship there. Your relatives are fine people, and you come from good stock. Have a safe journey.”
14 Tobit continued, “I will pay the normal daily wage plus expenses for both of you. 15 Be a good companion to Tobias, and I will add a bonus to your wages.”
16 “I will go with him,” Raphael said. “And don't worry; we will get there and back safely. The roads are not dangerous.”
“God be with you!” Tobit replied. Then he called Tobias and said to him, “Son, get everything ready that you need for the journey, so that the two of you can be on your way. May God and his angel watch over you both and bring you back to me safe and sound.”
Before leaving for Media, Tobias kissed his father and mother good-bye. Tobit said again, “Have a safe journey!”
17 Then his mother began to cry. “How could you send my son away like this?” she complained. “He's our only means of support. Who will take care of us now? 18 Is that money so important to you that you are willing to risk your own son's life to get it back? 19 Why can't we be content to live on what the Lord has given us?”
20 “Calm down,” Tobit said to her. “He will get there and back safely, and with your own eyes you will see him return home safe and sound. 21 Now stop worrying about them, dear. A good angel will go with Tobias. He will have a successful journey and will come back in good health.” At that, Anna calmed down and stopped crying.
