As for me, when I was with you, I was not acting on my own will, but by the will of God: New Revised Standard Version has here a fairly literal rendering, which comes across awkwardly. Good News Translation has reordered the elements of meaning more smoothly. We miss, however, in Good News Translation the use of the phrase the will of God. New Revised Standard Version my own will translates “by my favor”; in Greek two different nouns are used in my own will and the will of God. The sense here is “You don’t owe anything to me; this was all the will of God” or “… it was God who did all of this.” Another possibility is “I did not come on my own initiative, but God’s.”

Bless him each and every day; sing his praises: Good News Translation has combined the two imperatives, Bless God and sing his praises into “sing God’s praises.” This is not necessary, but it is acceptable. Each and every day is closer to the Greek words and probably its meaning rather than “as long as you live” (Good News Translation). There is an idea present of honoring God every day; “every day of your life” would catch the right idea.

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.