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.
ǃGûs aiǂhomisendi
1 ǁÎb îb Tobiti ǀapemāsab ge ǁnâus khaoǃgâb ge Tobiaba ǁgûba ge ǃeream: “Ti îtse mîmā tets go xūn hoana ta ge nî dī. 2 Xawe mâti ta ǁnā mari-e Gabaela xu nî hō-oa? Tita ge ǁîba a ǀū tsî mâ ǀgaus ai ta ǁîb ǂgom te tsî mari-e nî mā-oa tega, tita a tari ǃkhaisa nî ǁgauǁgau? ǁNās ǀgui tamas, tita ge mâti ta Mediab ǃnâ nî sī ǃkhaisa a ǀū.”
3 Ob ge Tobita ge ǃeream: “Tita tsî Gabael hâkhom hoakhom ge ǁgauǁgauǂkhani-e xoaǃgao tsî ǀgam ǃâra ǃnâ ge ǀkhauǀgora tsîb ge mâb hoaba ǀgui ǃâ-e ge ū. Tita ge ǀgui ǃkhare ǃâ-e ū tsî nau ǃkhare-e mari-i ǀkha ge ǁnāxū. ǁNās ge ǀgamdisi kurigu ǃkharu hâsesa! Nēsisa ǂgomǂgomsa khoe-e ôa, sats ǀkha Mediab ǁga ǃgû tsî nî oahā-e. ǁÎ-e khom ge sakho ga oahā, o nî matare. Xawe sats ge ǁnā mari-i Gabaeli ǀkha ta ge ǁnāxū-e nî hō.”
Tobiab ge Rafaeli ǀkha ra ǀhao
4 Ob ge Tobiaba Mediab daoba ǂan khoe-i, ǁîb ǀkha nî ǃgû-e ge ôa. Omsa xub ra ǂoa hîab ge ǀhomǃgāb Rafaela ǁîb aiǃâ hā ge mâ. Tobiab ge Elob di ǀhomǃgāb a ǃkhaisa ge ǀū i, 5 tsî mâpa xub ra hā ǃkhaisa ge dî bi.
Ob ge Rafaela ge ǃeream: “Tita ge Israelǁîta. Sa ǃnū ǀaokhoen di ǀguita tsî ta ge Nineves ǁga ta sîsen-e nî ôase go hā.”
“Mediab ǁga garu daoba ǂants a?” tib ge Tobiaba ge dî bi.
6 “Ā, ǂan ta a. Tita ge ǂgui ǃnāde ǁnāpa ge sī hâ i tsî hoa daoga ǃgâise a ǂan. Tsî ta ge ǁnāpa sida ǀaokhoeb Gabaeli, hîa Rages ǃnâ ǁan hâb tawa ge hâ i. ǃĀra Rages tsî Ekbatanas tsîra ge ǃhomgu ǃnâ ǂnôa tsî i ge khoe-e ǀgam tsēra nē ǃāsa xu nau ǃās ǃoa ra ǃgû” tib ge ǀhomǃgāba ge ǃeream bi.
7 Ob ge Tobiaba Rafaeli ǃoa ge mî: “Nēpa ǃâu te, ti horetse, î ta ǂgâ tsî ti îba sī mîba. Tita ǀkhats nî ǃgû ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǂgao tsî ta ge ǃgûs ǃaroma nî matare tsi.”
8 “Ā, ǂhanu a, ǃâu tsi ta nî xawe tā sī ǀhabe” tib ge ǀhomǃgāba ge ǃeream.
9 Tobiab ge ǂgâ tsî ǁîb îb ǃoa “Sada ǀaokhoeb Israelǁîb, tita ǀkha nî ǃgûba ta ge go hō” ti ge mî.
“ǂGâxa kai bi. Tita ge mâ omaris tsî ǃhaos tsîna xub hâ ǃkhais tsî ǂgomǂgomsa ǃgûǁnū-aob as tsîna ra ǂan ǂgao” tib ge Tobita ge ǃeream.
Tobiti ge Rafaeli ǀkha ra ǀhao
Ob ge Tobiaba ǂoa tsî Rafaela ge ǂgai. “Ti îb ge ra ǀhao-ū tsi ǂgao.” Tsî Rafaeli ge ǂgâxa, ob ge Tobita ǂguro ge tawede bi.
Ob ge Rafaeli tsîna ge tawedeǃoa bi. “Hoa xūn sats ǀkha ǃgâi ǃkhaisa ta ge ra ǂgom.”
Xaweb ge Tobita ge ǃeream. “Mâtin kha hoana tita ǀkha nî ǃgâi, ǂgī tsî ta xū-e mû ǁoa hîa. ǁŌ ta hâ khami i ge ī tsî ta ge ǃnâba ǃaruǀî a mû ǁoa. ǁŌ ta ga hâ ǃkhais ge ga ǃgâi hâ; khoen ra ǃhoa ǃkhaisa ta ra ǁnâu, xawe ta ǁîna mû tama xui-ao.”
“ǂKhîǂkhîsen, Elob nî ǀgūǁaeb ǃnâ ǂuruǂuru tsi xuige, tā ǂâiǂhansen!” tib ge Rafaela ǁîb ǃoa ge mî.
Ob ge Tobita ge mî: “Ti ôab, Tobiab ge Mediab ǃoa ra ǃgû ǂgao. ǁÎb ǀkha ǃgû tsîts daoba a ǁgau bi ǁoa? Tita ge amase nî matare tsi.”
Ob ge Rafaela ge ǃeream: “Ā, tita ge ǂanǂansase ǁîb ǀkha nî ǃgû. Tita ge ǂgui ǃnāde ǁnāǀî ǃgû hâ tsî ta ge hoa daoga, ǃhomgu ǃnâ tsî ǂhau-am ǃkhaigu ai a ǂan.”
10 Tobiti ge ǃaruǀî ge dî bi: “Ti horetse, mâ omaris tsî ǃhaos dits a ǃkhaisa mîba te re?”
11 Ob ge Rafaela ge dî: “Tare-i ǃaromats ǁnāsa ra ǂan ǂgao?”
“Ti ǃgâsatse, amaba mîba te re. Mâtits ǀon hâ tsî taritsa?” tib ge Tobita ge dî. 12 Rafaeli ge “Ti ǀons ge a Asaria tsî ta ge a sa ǀaokhoegu di ǀguib, Ananiab ôa” ti ge ǃeream.
13 Ob ge Tobita ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǁKhoreǁharehe hâse sida oms tawa tsâsen re! Ab Eloba ǀkhae tsi, ti ôatse. Tā ti ǀkha ǁaixa, amab sats tsî sa omaris diba ta ra ǂan ǂgao ǃkhais ǃaroma. Sats a ti ǀaokhoe ǃkhais ge a ǃgāsa tsîts ge ǃgâi tsî ǃgôaǃgôasa omaris di aorekhoe. Tita ge kaira hâ Semajab ôakha, Ananiab tsî Natanni tsîkha a ǂan. ǁÎkha ge ǁîkha ǂgoms ǃnâ îǂhôa. ǁÎge ge ǀhaosase Jerusalems ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa sī gere ǀgore. Sats ge kaise ǃgâi ǀaokhoena xu ra ǀkhī. ǃGâise ǃgû re.”
14 Tobiti ge ǃaruǀî ge mî: “ǁKhoreǁharehe hâse tsâsen re, ti ǃgâsatse. Tita ge tsēs di ǃoaǂuis tsî māǂuis maride sakho hoakho nî matare. 15 Tobiabats ga ǃgâise ǃgûǁnū tsî kho ga oahā, o ta ge sa ǃoaǂuis tawa noxopa mari-e nî ǀaroba tsi.”
16 Ob ge Rafaela ge mî: “Tita ge ǁîb ǀkha nî ǃgû, xuige tā ǂâiǂhansen re. Sikhom ge daogu a ǃnorasa xui-ao ǃgâi ǂurusib ǃnâ ǃgû tsî nî oahā.”
“Ab Eloba hâǀkhā tsi re!” tib ge Tobita ǃeream tsî Tobiaba ǂgai-oa tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǀGôatse, daob ai kho nî ǂhâba xūn hoana ǂhomi, î kho ǃgûtsoatsoa. Ab Elob tsî ǁîb ǀhomǃgāba sakho ǂama ǃûisa ūhâ tsî tita ǁga ǁkhawa ǃnorasa tsî ǂuruse oahā-ū kho.”
Mediab ǁga kha nî ǃgûs aiǃâb ge Tobiaba ǁgûra ǁoas ǀkha ge tawedeǁnāxū. ǁKhawab ge Tobita “ǃGâise ǃgû re” ti ge mî.
17 Os ge ǁîb îsa ātsoatsoa tsî: “Mâtits nē ǀgaub ai ti ôaba nî sîbē? ǁÎb ge sam di ǃgâsenaihaib hūs diba. Tari-e samma nēsi nî kōǃgâ? 18 ǁNā mari-e ǁnātikōse sa ǃaroma a ǂhâǂhâsa, sa ǂhunuma ǀgôab di ûib tsînats ǁî-e hō-oas ǃaroma ǁkhōǁkhōsasib ǃnâ ra mâis kōse? 19 Tare-i ǃaroma da kha ǃKhūb ge mā da xūn ǀkha ǂkhî tama hâ?”
20 Ob ge Tobita ǁîs ǃoa ge mî: “Tā ǂâiǂhansen, Tobiab ge ǁnāpa sī tsî ǂuruse nî oahā tsîs sa ǂhunuma mûra ǀkha nî mû ǃkhais ge mâtib ǃnorasa tsî ǂuruse nî oahāsa. 21 ǁÎkha xa ǂâiǂhansenǀû re. ǃGâi ǀhomǃgāb ge Tobiab ǀkha nî ǃgû. ǁÎb ge ǃgâiǃgâ ǃgûsa ūhâ tsî ǃgâi ǂurusib ǃnâ nî oahā, xuige tā ǁîkha ǃaroma ǃao re, ti ǃgâsase.” Os ge Annasa ǂkhîǂkhîsen tsî ge āǀû.
