TOBIT was a pious, devout man who had, with his family, been taken captive to Ninevah. Through a series of misfortunes Tobit lost his property, his position and even his eyesight. Feeling he was nearing life's end, he decided to send his son, Tobias, to fetch ten talents of silver, which he had left in the hands of his kinsman Gabael who dwelt at Rages in Media. He instructed Tobias to collect the money and come home.
A travelling companion was hired to accompany the young Tobias on his way. Unknown to Tobit and his family, the companion turned out to be the angel Raphael disguised as a man named Azarias. Tobias and the angel set out on their journey, and Tobias' dog accompanied them.
While they stopped at a stream along the way, a large fish attacked Tobias who then caught it and hauled it to the riverbank. The angel instructed Tobias to take the fish's heart and liver and gall. The hired companion proved very knowledgeable and explained that smoke made from burning the liver and heart of the fish would drive away evil spirits. Moreover, the gall was useful for healing blindness.
As they neared the city of Ecbatana, Raphael told Tobias he was about to marry a young woman (introduced to the reader earlier in the story). Sarah, a young kinswoman to Tobias, was in a sad state of affairs because the demon Asmodeus, who desired her, had successively strangled each of Sarah's seven husbands on their wedding night before the marriages could be consummated. This made Tobias uneasy, but the angel assured him that smoke made from burning the heart and liver of the fish would drive the evil demon far away.
In the course of the narrative things turned out just as the angel Raphael had indicated. Tobias married Sarah, drove away the demon, inherited half of her father's wealth, secured Tobits money from the distant city and journeyed home.
Tobias was sorely missed by Tobit and his wife, Anna, who were distressed because of Tobias' unusually long absence. There was a touching reunion when Tobias did return. Tobias applied gall from the fish to his father'ed eyes who then received his sight. When Tobit attempted to pay Azarias, Raphael revealed to all of them his angelic nature, exhorted them to righteous living and ascended into heaven before their eyes.

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