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18 And Achiacharns, and Nasbas his brother's son, came:

19 And Tobias' wedding was kept seven days with great joy.

CHAP. XII. S Tobit offereth half to the angel for hit pains 1 6 but he calhth them both aside, and exhorteth them, i^andtelUththem that he was an ante/.

THEN Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him, more.

a And Tobias said unto him,O father, it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought:

3 For he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

4 Then the old man said, It is due onto him.

5 f So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that ye have brought, and go away in safety.

6 \ Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the fight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not flack to praise him.

7 It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

8 Prayer is good with fasting and alma and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It i« better to give alms than'to lay up gold:

9 For alms doth deliver from death, and (hall purge away all fin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

10 But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

11 Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to ceep close the secret of a king, but that t was honourable to reveal the works >f God.

1* Now therefore, when thou didst >ray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I lid bring the remembrance of your irayers before the Holy One: and when hou didst bury the dead, I was with hee likewise.

«j And when thou didst not delay to 11c up, snd leave thy dinner, to go and

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cover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from mei but I was with thee.

14 And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

15 T I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.

16 Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

17 But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praise God therefore.

18 For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God, I came; wherefore praise him for ever.

19 All these days I did appear unto you j but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision.

ao Now therefore give God thanks r for I go up to him that sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.

ai And when they arose, they saw him no more.

11 Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them.

CHAP. -XIII. The thanksgiving unto God 'which Tobit •. wrote.

THEN Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said, Blessed be God that liveth for ever, and blessed be hit kingdom.

a For he doth scourge, and hath mercy: he leadeth down to hell, andbringeth up again: neither is there any that can avoid his hand.

3 Confess him before the Gentiles, ye children of Israel: for he hath scattered us among them.

4 There declare his greatness, and extol him before all the living: for he is our Lord, and he is the God our Father for ever.

5 And he will scourge us for our iniquities, and will have mercy again, and will gather us out of all nations, among whom he hath scattered us.

6 If ye turn to him with your whole heart, and with your whole mind, and deal uprightly before him, then will he turn unto you, and will not hide his face from you. Therefore see what he will do with you, and confesa him with your whole mouth, and praise the Lord of might, and extol the everlasting King. In the land of my captivity do I praise htm, and declare his might and majesty to a sinful nation. O ye sinners, turn and do justice before him: who can tell

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to Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, until ye come to the borders of Ethiopia.

ir But all the inhabitants of the land made light of the commandment of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians,netther went they with him to the battle; for they were not afraid of him: yea, he was before them as one man, and they sent away bis ambassadors from them without esseit, and with disgrace.

x» Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very angry with all this country, and sware by his throne and kingdom, that he would surely be avenged upon all those coasts of Cilicia, and Damascus, and Syria, and that he would slay with, the sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all Judea, and all that were in Eto the borders of

setting in array ot his footmen:

51 Even in those days king Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain, which is the plain in the borders of Rsgau.

6 And there came unto him all they that dwelt in the hill country, and all that dwelt by Euphrates, and Tigris, and Hydaspe, and the plain of Arioch the king oftheElymeans.and very many nations of the sons of Chelod, assembled themselves to the battle.

7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Ycrlia, and to all that dwelt westward, and to those that dwelt in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Libanus, and Antilibanus, and to all that dwelt upon the sea coast,

8 And to those among the nations that were of Carmel, and Galaad, and the higher Galilee, and the great plain of Esdrelom,

9 And to all that were in Samaria,and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem, and Betane, and ChelJus, and Kades, and the river of Egypt, and Taphnes, and Ramesse, and all the land of Gesem,

13 Then he marched in battle array with his power against king Arphaxad in the seventeeth year, and he prevailed in his battle: for he overthrew all' the power of Arphaxad, and all his horsemen, and all his chariots,

14 And became lord of his cities, and came unto Kcbatane, and took the towers, and spoiled the streets thereof, and turned the beauty thereof into shame.

15 V He took also Arphaxad in the mountains of Kagau, and smote him through with his darts, and destroyed him utterly that day.

16 So he returned afterward to Nineve, both he and all his company of sundrynations, being a very great multitude of men of war, and there he took his ease, and banijuettcd, both he and bis army, an hundred and twenty days.

CHAP. II. 4 Helofernei is appointed general, 11 and

charged U /pare none that <will net

yield.

AND in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth dayot the tirftmonth, there was talk in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, that ho f D 3 should,

should, as be said, avenge himself on all the earth.

a So he called unto him all his officers, and all his nobles, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth.

3 Then theyjdecreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandment of his mouth.

41 And when he had ended hiscounsel, Nabuchodonosorkingof the Assyrians called Holorernes the chief captain of his army, which was next unto him, and said unto him,

5 Thus faith the great king, the lord of the whole earth, Behold, thou shalt go forth from my presence, and take with thee men that trust in their own strength, of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand; and the number of hoi its with their riders twelve thousand.

6 And thou (halt go against all the west country, because they disobeyed my commandment.

7 And thou malt declare unto them, that they prepare for me earth and water i for 1 will go forth in my wrath against them, and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of mine army, and I will give them for a spoil unto them ■.

8 So that their slain snail fill their vallies and brooks, and the rivers shall be filled with their dead, till it overflow:

9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth.

Io Thou therefore shalt go forth, and take before hand for me all their coasts: and if they will yield themselves unto thee, thou shalt reserve them for me till the day of their punishment.

us But concerning them that rebel, let not thine eyes spare them; but put them to the slaughter, and spoil them wheresoever thou goeft.

it For as I live, and by the power ef my kingdom, whatsoever I have spoken, that will I do by mine hand.

13. And take thou heed, that thou transgress none of the commandments of thy lord, but accomplish them fully, as I have commanded thee, and defer not to do them.

14 Then Holofemes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called all the governors and captains, and the officers of the army of Assur;

15 And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord bad commanded him, unto an hundred and twenty

thousand, and twelve thousand archers on horseback; .

16 And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war.

17 And he took camels and asses for their carriages, a very great number; and sheep and oxen and goats without number for their provision:

18 And plenty of victual for every man of the army, and very much gold and stiver out of the king's house.

19 Then he went forth and all hii power to go before king Nabuchodonofor in the voyage, and to cover all the face of the earth westward with their chariots, and horsemen, and their chosen footmen.

ao A great number also of sundry countries came with them like locust!, and like the sand of the earth: for the multitude was without number.

ar And they went forth of Ninew three days' journey toward the plain of Bectileth, and pitched from BectiJeth near the mountain which is at the left band of the upper Cilicia.

aa Then he took all his army, hi* footmen, and horsemen, and chariots, and went from thence into the hill country;

83 And destroyed Phud and Lud.and spoiled all the children of Rassel, and the children Ismael, which were toward the wilderness at the south of the land of the Chellians.

a.4 Then he went over Euphrates,and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, till ye come to the sea.

15 And he took the borders of Ciiicia.and killed all that resisted him, aud came to the borders of Japhetb, which were toward the south, over against Arabia.

16 He compassed also all the children of Madian.and burned up their tabernacles, and spoiled their sheepcotet.

17 Then he went down into the pla"1 of Damascus in the time of wheat barvest, and burnt up all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, also he spoiled their cities, and utterly waft"1 theircountries,andsmotealltheiryours men with the edge of the sword.

a8 Therefore the fear and dread ot him sell upon all the inhabitants of the sea coasts, which were in Sidon and TV rue, and them that dwelt in Sur, and 0cina.and all that dwelt in Jemnaan: and they that dwelt in Azotui and AsciM, feared him greatly. rHAP.

CHAP. III.

I They of the sea coasts intreat fir peace: 7 Howfernet it received there i 8 he destrojeth their gods.

SO they sent ambassadors unto him to treat of peace, saying, » Behold, we the servants of Nabuchodonofor the great king lie before thee; use us as shall be good in thy sight.

3 Behold, our houses, and all our places, and all our fields of wheat, and flocks, and herds, and all the lodges of our tents, lie before thy face j use them as it pleafeth thee.

4 Behold, even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants; come, and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee.

5 So the men came to Holofernes,and declared unto him after this manner.

6 Then came he dowH toward the sea coast, both he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for aid.

7 5 So they and all the country round about received them with garlands, with dances, and with timbrels.

8 t Yet he did cast down thtir frontiers, and cut down their groves: for he had decreed, to destroy all the gods of the land, that all nations mould worship Nabuchodonosor only, and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god.

9 Also he came over against Esdraelon near unto Judea, over against the great strait of Judea.

io And be pitched between Geba and Scythopolis, and there he tarried a whole month, that he might gather together all the carriages of his army.

CHAP. IV. I The sews are afraid of Holofernes, $

and fortify the hiltt. g Mt Israel fait

to fafimg and prayer.

NOW the children of Israel, that dwelt in Judea, heard all that Ho I of erne 5 the chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to the nations, and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples, and brought them to nought.

% Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him, and were troubled for Jerusalem, and for the temple of the Lord their God:

3 For they were newly returned from the captivity, and all the people of Judea were lately gathered together: and the vessels, and the altar, and the house were sanctified after the profanation.

4 Therefore they sent into all the

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coasts of Samaria, and the village*, and to Bcthoron, and Bclmcn, and Jericho, and to Choba, and Esora, and to the valley of Salem:

5 7 And possessed themselves beforehand of all the topB of the high mountains, and fortified thevillages that were in them, and laid up victuals for the provision of war: for their fields were of late reaped.

6 Also Joacim the high priest, which was in those days in Jerusalem, wrote, to them that dwelt in Bethulia, and Betomestham, which is over against Esdraelon toward the open country, near to Dothaim,

7 Charging them to keep the passages of the bill country: for by them there was an entrance into Judea, and it was easy to stop them that would come up, because the passage was strait, for two men at the most.

8 And the children of Israel did at Joacim the high priest had commanded them, with the ancients of all the people of Israel, which dwelt at Jerusalem.

9 T Then every man of Israel cried to God with great fervency, and with great vehemency did they humble their soulsj

xo Both they, and their wives, and their children, and their cattle, aud every stranger and hireling, and their servants nought with money, put sackcloth upon their loins.

Ii Thus every man and woman, and the little children, and the inhabitant! of Jerusalem,fell before the temple, and cast ashes upon their heads, and spread out thtir sackcloth before the face of the Lord: also they put sackcloth about the altar,

i* And cried to the God of Israel all with oneconsent earnestly,that he would not give their children for a prey, and their wives for a spoil, and the cities of their inheritance to destruction,and the sanctuary to profanation and reproach, and for the nations to rejoice at.

13 So God heard their prayers, and looked upon their afflictions: for the people fasted many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.

14 And Joacim the high priest, and all the priests that stood before the Lord, and they which ministered unto the i.ord,had their loins girt with sackcloth, and offered the daily burnt offerings, with the vows, and free gifts of the people,

15 And had ashes on their mitres, and cried unto the Lord with all their

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