father: I bless thee, Lord God of Israel, for thou
hast chastised me, and thou hast saved me, and, lo! I see Tobias my son.
After these seven days Sara the wife of his son came and entered in with
all the family, and the beasts whole and sound, camels and much money of
his wife's, and also the money that he had received of Gabael. And he
told to his father and mother all the benefits of God that was done to
him by the man that led him. Then came Achiacharus and Nasbas, cousins
of Tobias, joying and thanking God of all the goods that God had showed
to him. And seven days they ate together making feast, and were glad
with great joy. Then old Tobit call his son Tobias to him, and said:
What may we give to this holy man that cometh with thee? Then Tobias
answering said to his father: Father, what meed may we give to him, or
what may be worthy to him for his benefits? He led me out and hath
brought me whole again, he received the money of Gabael; he did me have
my wife and he put away the devil from her; he hath made joy to my
parents, and saved myself from devouring of the fish, and hath made thee
see the light of heaven, and by him we be replenished with all goods;
what may we then worthily give to him? Wherefore I pray thee, father,
that thou pray him if he vouchsafe to take the half of all that I have.
Then the father and the son calling him took him apart and began to pray
him that he would vouchsafe to take half the part of all the goods that
they had brought. Then said he to them privily: Bless ye God of heaven
and before all living people knowledge ye him, for he hath done to you
his mercy. Forsooth to hide the sacrament of the king it is good, but
for to show the works of God and to knowledge them it is worshipful.
Oration and prayer is good, with fasting and alms, and more than to set
up treasures of gold. For alms delivereth from death, and it is she that
purgeth sins and maketh a man to find everlasting life. Who that do sin
and wickedness they be enemies of his soul. I show to you therefore the
truth and I shall not hide from you the secret word. When thou prayedst
with tears and didst bury the dead men and leftest thy dinner and
hiddest dead men by the day in thine house, and in the night thou
buriedst them, I offered thy prayer unto God. And forasmuch as thou wert
accepted tofore God, it was necessary, thou being tempted, that he
should prove thee. And now hath our Lord sent me for to cure thee, and
Sara the wi