Tobit 13: Tobit's prayer of praise, and Jerusalem built again

In plain English: And he said, "Blessed be God, who lives forever, and blessed be his kingdom,

Good to know: The long Greek begins only "And he said". Brenton's verse has "Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said".

In plain English: because he whips, and he has mercy. He leads down to Hades (see the note), deepest under the earth, and he brings up from the great destruction, and there is nothing that will escape his hand.

The Greek word: "Hell" (Brenton) is hadēs, the place of the dead. In the long Greek of Tobit it is in 3 verses (the form hadou): here, 3:10, where Brenton has Sarah fear to bring her father's old age "with sorrow unto the grave", and 4:19. 1 Samuel 2:6 says, "He brings down to Sheol and brings up"; there the Greek also has hadēs, and Brenton "the grave".

Good to know: The long Greek has "deepest under the earth", "from the great destruction", and "there is nothing that will escape his hand". Brenton's verse has "he leadeth down to hell, and bringeth up again: neither is there any that can avoid his hand".

In plain English: Give thanks to him (or: confess him), you sons of Israel, before the nations, because he has scattered you among them,

Good to know: The long Greek has "he has scattered you". Brenton's verse has "Confess him before the Gentiles ... for he hath scattered us among them". "Confess" is the word explained at 12:6.

In plain English: and there he has shown you his greatness. Lift him up before every living being, because he is our Lord, and he is our God, and he is our Father, and he is God for all the ages.

Good to know: The long Greek has "there he has shown you his greatness" and "he is our God, and he is our Father, and he is God for all the ages". Brenton's verse has "There declare his greatness" and "he is our Lord, and he is the God our Father for ever".

In plain English: He will whip you for your wrongdoings, and he will have mercy on all of you, out of all the nations wherever you may be scattered among them.

Good to know: The long Greek has "he will whip you for your wrongdoings, and he will have mercy on all of you". Brenton's verse has "he will scourge us for our iniquities, and will have mercy again, and will gather us out of all nations".

In plain English: When you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul, to do what is true before him, then he will turn to you and will no longer hide his face from you. So now see what he has done with you, and give thanks to him with your whole mouth. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and lift up the King of the ages.

Good to know: The long Greek ends with "lift up the King of the ages", and has "see what he has done", "your whole mouth" and "the Lord of righteousness". Brenton's verse has "with your whole mind", "the Lord of might", and more words at the end, which the long Greek does not have: "In the land of my captivity do I praise him, and declare his might and majesty to a sinful nation. O ye sinners, turn and do justice before him: who can tell if he will accept you, and have mercy on you?"

In plain English: The long Greek has no words for this verse. In the short Greek, which Brenton follows, it says: I lift up my God, and my soul (the Greek has no word for what the soul does; it can be understood as lifts up, or: praises) the King of heaven, and it will rejoice in his greatness.

Good to know: Swete prints no long Greek for verses 7, 8 and 9. In the short Greek there is no word for what the soul does to "the King of heaven"; Brenton gives it as "my soul shall praise the King of heaven".

In plain English: The long Greek has no words for this verse. In the short Greek, which Brenton follows, it says: Let all speak, and let them give thanks to him in Jerusalem.

Good to know: Swete prints no long Greek for this verse. The short Greek has "in Jerusalem". Brenton's verse has "let all praise him for his righteousness"; the words "for his righteousness" are not in either Greek form.

In plain English: The long Greek has no words for this verse. In the short Greek, which Brenton follows, it says: Jerusalem, city of the Holy One (or: of the holy place), he will whip you for the works of your sons, and he will again have mercy on the sons of the righteous.

Good to know: Swete prints no long Greek for this verse. The short Greek's "city of the Holy One" can also be read "city of the holy place" (see the note at 12:12). Brenton's verse has "O Jerusalem, the holy city".

In plain English: And your tent (or: dwelling) will be built for you again with joy. May he make glad in you all who are captives, and may he love in you all who are in misery, for all the generations of the age.

Good to know: The long Greek begins "And your tent will be built for you again". Brenton's verse begins with words the long Greek does not have, "Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: and praise the everlasting King", and has "his tabernacle".

In plain English: A bright light will shine to all the ends of the earth. Many nations will come from far away, and those who live at the farthest ends of the earth (the Greek here is short and hard to follow), to your holy name, holding their gifts in their hands for the King of heaven. Generation after generation will rejoice in you, and the name of the chosen one (or: the chosen city) will last for all the generations of the age.

Good to know: The long Greek has "A bright light will shine to all the ends of the earth", "to your holy name", and "the name of the chosen one". Brenton's verse has "Many nations shall come from far to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven; all generations shall praise thee with great joy".

In plain English: Cursed are all who speak a harsh word. Cursed will be all who tear you down and pull down your walls, and all who overturn your towers and set fire to your homes. But blessed forever will be all who fear you (or: who hold you in awe).

Good to know: The long Greek curses those who speak a harsh word, tear down the walls, overturn the towers and burn the homes, and blesses "all who fear you". Brenton's verse has "Cursed are all they which hate thee, and blessed shall all be which love thee for ever".

In plain English: Then go and rejoice over (or: with) the sons of the righteous, because they will all be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the ages.

Good to know: The long Greek has "Then go" and "the Lord of the ages". Brenton's verse has "Rejoice and be glad for the children of the just" and "the Lord of the just".

In plain English: Happy are those who love you, and happy are those who will rejoice in your peace. Happy are all people who will grieve over you, over all your whippings, because they will rejoice in you, and will see all your joy forever.

Good to know: The long Greek has "all people who will grieve over you" and "see all your joy forever". Brenton's verse has "blessed are they which have been sorrowful for all thy scourges; for they shall rejoice for thee, when they have seen all thy glory, and shall be glad for ever".

In plain English: My soul blesses the Lord, the great King,

Good to know: The long Greek has "My soul blesses the Lord, the great King". Brenton's verse has "Let my soul bless God the great King."

In plain English: because Jerusalem will be built as a city, as his house, for all the ages (the Greek here is hard to put word for word). I will be happy if some of my descendants are left to see your glory and to give thanks to the King of heaven. The gates of Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald, and all your walls with precious stone. The towers of Jerusalem will be built with gold, and their battlements with pure gold.

Good to know: The long Greek has more: Jerusalem built "for all the ages", Tobit's hope that some of his descendants will see its glory, and gates of sapphire and emerald. Brenton's verse has "Jerusalem shall be built up with sapphire, and emerald, and precious stone: thy walls and towers and battlements with pure gold".

Good to know: Isaiah 54:11 also pictures a city built of precious stones. In the Hebrew: "lay your foundations with sapphires". In the Greek, as Brenton gives it: "I will prepare carbuncle for thy stones, and sapphire for thy foundations".

In plain English: The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with carbuncle and with stone of Soupheir (see the note).

Good to know: The long Greek has carbuncle and "stone of Soupheir", and no beryl. Brenton's verse has "beryl and carbuncle and stone of Ophir". In Brenton's English of the Greek of 1 Kings 10:11, gold comes "from Suphir", where the Hebrew has "Ophir".

In plain English: The gates of Jerusalem will sing songs of rejoicing, and all its houses will say, 'Alleluia! Blessed be the God of Israel.' And the blessed will bless the holy name (or: and they, blessed, will bless the holy name) forever and ever."

Good to know: The long Greek has "the gates of Jerusalem will sing songs of rejoicing", "all its houses", and "Blessed be the God of Israel". Brenton's verse has "all her streets shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise him, saying, Blessed be God, which hath extolled it for ever".

The Greek word: "Alleluia" is a Hebrew word written in Greek letters. In Swete's Greek it is in 24 verses: 21 in the Psalms, this verse in both Greek forms, and one in 3 Maccabees. Brenton's Psalm 146:1 begins "Alleluia", where the Hebrew is given as "Praise Yah!".