The chat will start when you send the first message.
1Then Tobit said:[#13.1 Gk he]
“Blessed be God who lives forever,
and blessed be his kingdom.
2For he afflicts, and he shows mercy;[#Deut 32.39; 1 Sam 2.6; Tob 11.15]
he leads down to Hades in the lowest regions of the earth,
and he brings up from the great abyss,
and there is nothing that can escape his hand.
3Acknowledge him before the nations, O children of Israel,[#v 6 ; Tob 1.2]
for he has scattered you among them.
4He has shown you his greatness even there.
Exalt him in the presence of every living being,
because he is our Lord, and he is our God;
he is our Father, and he is God forever.
5He will afflict you for your iniquities,[#Deut 30.3; 32.39; Tob 11.15; #13.5 Other ancient authorities read He afflicted]
but he will again show mercy on all of you.
He will gather you from all the nations
among whom you have been scattered.
6If you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul,[#vv 3, 10 ; Deut 6.5; Jon 3.9; 1 Tim 1.17]
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 for you;
acknowledge him at the top of your voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
and exalt the King of the ages.
In the land of my exile I acknowledge him
and show his power and majesty to a nation of sinners:
‘Turn back, you sinners, and do what is right before him;
perhaps he may look with favor upon you and show you mercy.’
7As for me, I exalt my God,[#1 Esd 4.46]
and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven.
8Let all people speak of his majesty[#Jn 4.20]
and acknowledge him in Jerusalem.
9O Jerusalem, the holy city,[#v 13 ; Neh 11.1; Dan 9.24]
he afflicted you for the deeds of your hands
but will again have mercy on the children of the righteous.
10Acknowledge the Lord worthily,[#v 6 ; 1 Tim 1.17]
and bless the King of the ages,
so that your tent may be rebuilt for you with joy.
May he cheer all those within you who are captives
and love all those within you who are distressed,
to all generations forever.
11A bright light will shine to all the remotest parts of the earth;[#Ps 86.9; Isa 60.5–10; Tob 14.6; Rev 21.24]
many nations will come to you from far away,
the inhabitants of the ends of the earth to your holy name,
bearing gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.
Generation after generation will give joyful praise in you;
the name of the chosen city will endure forever.
12Cursed are all who reject you[#Gen 12.3; 27.29; Num 24.9; Ps 122.6, 7]
and all who blaspheme you;
cursed are all who hate you
and all who speak a harsh word against you;
cursed are all who conquer you
and pull down your walls,
all who overthrow your towers
and set your homes on fire.
But blessed forever will be all who build you up.
13Rejoice, then, and exult over the children of the righteous,[#v 9; #13.13 Q mss: S Go]
for they will all be gathered together
and will bless the Lord of the ages.
14Happy will be those who love you,[#Ps 122.6; Isa 66.10; Tob 14.7]
and happy are those who will rejoice in your peace.
Happy also all people who grieve with you
because of your afflictions,
for they will rejoice with you
and witness all your joy forever.
15My soul blesses the Lord, the great King,[#Ps 48.2; Mt 5.35; #13.15 OL reads O my soul, bless]
16for Jerusalem will be rebuilt as his house for all ages.
How happy I will be if a remnant of my descendants should survive
to see your glory and acknowledge the King of heaven.
The gates of Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald
and all your walls with precious stones.
The towers of Jerusalem will be built with gold
and their battlements with pure gold.
17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved[#1 Kings 9.28; Isa 54.11, 12; Rev 21.10–21]
with ruby and with stones of Ophir.
18The gates of Jerusalem will sing hymns of joy,[#Isa 51.3; Rev 19.1, 3, 4, 6]
and all her houses will cry, ‘Hallelujah!
Blessed be the God of Israel!’—
and the blessed will bless the holy name forever and ever.”