After a prosperous journey, they drew near unto Nineve.  Then Raphael told Tobias to make haste before his wife to prepare the house, and to take in his hand the gall of the fish.  Now Anna sat looking about toward the way for her son, and when she espied him coming, she said to his father:  Behold, thy son cometh and the man that went with him.  And Anna ran forth, and fell upon the neck of her son and said:  From henceforth I am content to die.  Tobias met his father at the door, and strake of the gall on his father’s eyes, saying:  Be of good hope, my father.  And Tobit recovered his sight.  When he saw his son, he fell upon his neck and wept, and blessed God.  Then Tobit went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineve, and welcomed and blessed her; and there was joy among all his brethren which were at Nineve.

Tobit offered to Raphael half of all that had been brought from Rages; but Raphael called him and Tobias apart and exhorted them to praise and magnify the Lord for all the things which he had done unto them; and told them that he, Raphael, was 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.  Then they were both troubled and fell upon their faces; but he said:  Fear not, for it shall go well with you.  I go up to him that sent me; but write all the things which were done in a book.  And when they arose they saw him no more.

Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, saying:  In the land of my captivity do I praise thee, O Lord, and declare thy might and majesty to a sinful nation.  For Jerusalem shall be built up, her walls and towers and battlements restored.  And all her streets shall say:  Alleluia.

And when he was very aged, Tobit called his son and the six sons of his son, and bade them go into Media, for he was ready to depart out of this life, and he surely believed that which Jonas the prophet spake of Nineve, that it should be overthrown.  When he had said these things he gave up the ghost.  Tobias departed with his wife to Media, and died there; but before he died he heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was taken by Nabuchodonosor.

JUDITH

In the days of Arphaxad, which reigned over the Medes in Ecbatane, he fortified Ecbatane with great stone walls, and towers and gates, for the going forth of his mighty armies.  Nabuchodonosor, who reigned in Nineve, made war with King Arphaxad, and sent ambassadors to Cilicia, Damascus and Syria, and the land of Moab and Ammon and Judea and all Egypt asking aid; but the inhabitants thereof made light of the commandment, and sent away his ambassadors with disgrace.  Therefore, Nabuchodonosor was very angry, and sware by his throne that he would be avenged upon all the inhabitants of these countries, and would slay them with the sword.  Nabuchodonosor, in the seventeenth year of his reign, marched in battle array against