The lad: This would be a good translation if lad were not a quaint word in English in this context. “Young man” (New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Revised English Bible) is far better. Good News Translation simply uses Tobias’s name. There is no compelling reason for this, but it is perfectly all right if the translator wishes to follow it. The reader knows Tobias is a young man.

Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For no one except you, brother …: Good News Translation, by inserting “first,” seems to disconnect the meal from the wedding, and even gives the impression that Tobias should enjoy himself while he can, because soon he’s going to be married. The sense of the Greek is that the meal is part of the festivity: “Eat! Drink! Enjoy! Because no one else….” When earlier in the story Raguel meets Tobias and apparently becomes aware of him for the first time, the first thought that comes to his mind is surely that here is another potential husband for Sarah. Note that Raguel addresses Tobias as brother. In many languages this will not be proper usage. Good News Translation omits it. The address my child (Good News Translation “my son”), which occurs at the end of this verse, fits the context better in English.

But let me explain to you the true situation more fully: Good News Translation “But I must tell you the truth” is a possible alternative. An even better model is “But I must tell you the truth about Sarah.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Tobit. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.