Tobit, 13

1. Then Tobit composed this joyful prayer: Blessed be God who lives forever, because his kingdom lasts for all ages.

1. And he said: Blessed be God who lives for ever, for his reign endures throughout all ages!

2. For he scourges and then has mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether world, and he brings up from the great abyss. No one can escape his hand.

2. For he both punishes and pardons; he sends people down to the depths of the underworld and draws them up from utter Destruction; no one can escape his hand.

3. Praise him, you Israelites, before the Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them,

3. Declare his praise before the nations, you who are the children of Israel! For if he has scattered you among them,

4. he has shown you his greatness even there. Exalt him before every living being, because he is the Lord our God, our Father and God forever.

4. there too he has shown you his greatness. Extol him before all the living; he is our Lord and he is our God; he is our Father, and he is God for ever and ever.

5. He scourged you for your iniquities, but will again have mercy on you all. He will gather you from all the Gentiles among whom you have been scattered.

5. Though he punishes you for your iniquities, he will take pity on you all; he will gather you from every nation wherever you have been scattered.

6. When you turn back to him with all your heart, to do what is right before him, Then he will turn back to you, and no longer hide his face from you. So now consider what he has done for you, and praise him with full voice. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. In the land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation. "Turn back, you sinners! do the right before him: perhaps he may look with favor upon you and show you mercy.

6. If you return to him with all your heart and all your soul, behaving honestly towards him, then he will return to you and hide his face from you no longer. Consider how well he has treated you; loudly give him thanks. Bless the Lord of justice and extol the King of the ages. I for my part sing his praise in the country of my exile; I make his power and greatness known to a nation that has sinned. Sinners, return to him; let your conduct be upright before him; perhaps he will be gracious to you and take pity on you.

7. "As for me, I exalt my God, and my spirit rejoices in the King of heaven.

7. I for my part extol God and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven. Let his greatness

8. Let all men speak of his majesty, and sing his praises in Jerusalem."

8. be on every tongue, his praises be sung in Jerusalem.

9. O Jerusalem, holy city, he scourged you for the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of the righteous.

9. Jerusalem, Holy City, God has scourged you for what you have done but will still take pity on the children of the upright.

10. Praise the Lord for his goodness, and bless the King of the ages, so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy. May he gladden within you all who were captives; all who were ravaged may he cherish within you for all generations to come.

10. Thank the Lord as he deserves and bless the King of the ages, that your Temple may be rebuilt with joy within you; within you he may comfort every exile, and within you he may love all those who are distressed, for all generations to come.

11. A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from afar, And the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, Bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. Every generation shall give joyful praise in you, and shall call you the chosen one, through all ages forever.

11. A bright light will shine over all the regions of the earth; many nations will come from far away, from all the ends of the earth, to dwell close to the holy name of the Lord God, with gifts in their hands for the King of heaven. Within you, generation after generation will proclaim their joy, and the name of her who is Elect will endure through the generations to come.

12. Accursed are all who speak a harsh word against you; accursed are all who destroy you and pull down your walls, And all who overthrow your towers and set fire to your homes; but forever blessed are all those who build you up.

12. Cursed be any who affront you, cursed be any who destroy you, who throw down your walls, who rase your towers, who burn your houses! Eternally blessed be he who rebuilds you!

13. Go, then, rejoice over the children of the righteous, who shall all be gathered together and shall bless the Lord of the ages.

13. Then you will exult, and rejoice over the children of the upright, for they will all have been gathered in and will bless the Lord of the ages.

14. Happy are those who love you, and happy those who rejoice in your prosperity. Happy are all the men who shall grieve over you, over all your chastisements, For they shall rejoice in you as they behold all your joy forever.

14. Blessed are those who love you, blessed those who rejoice over your peace, blessed those who have mourned over all your punishment! For they will soon rejoice within you, witness all your blessedness in days to come.

15. My spirit blesses the Lord, the great King;

15. My soul blesses the Lord, the great King

16. Jerusalem shall be rebuilt as his home forever. Happy for me if a remnant of my offspring survive to see your glory and to praise the King of heaven! The gates of Jerusalem shall be built with sapphire and emerald, and all your walls with precious stones. The towers of Jerusalem shall be built with gold, and their battlements with pure gold.

16. because Jerusalem will be built anew and his house for ever and ever. What bliss, if one of my family be left to see your glory and praise the King of heaven! The gates of Jerusalem will be built of sapphire and of emerald, and all your walls of precious stone, the towers of Jerusalem will built of gold and their battlements of pure gold.

17. The streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with rubies and stones of Ophir;

17. The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with ruby and with stones from Ophir; the gates of Jerusalem will resound with songs of exultation; and all her houses will say, 'Alleluia! Blessed be the God of Israel.' Within you they will bless the holy name for ever and ever.

18. The gates of Jerusalem shall sing hymns of gladness, and all her houses shall cry out, "Alleluia! "Blessed be God who has raised you up! may he be blessed for all ages!" For in you they shall praise his holy name forever. The end of Tobit's hymn of praise.

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