Tobit

Tobit.

——————

I. The book of the * words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of Nephthali; 2 who in the time of * Enemessar king of the Assyrians awas led captive out of bThisbe, which is at cthe right hand of that city, which is called * properly Nephthali in Galilee above Aser. 3 I Tobit have walked all the days of my life in the way of truth and justice, and dI did many almsdeeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineve, into the land of the Assyrians. 4 And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel, being but young, eall the tribe of Nephthali my father fell from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, where the temple of the habitation of the most High was consecrated and built ffor all ages. 5 Now all the tribes which together revolted, and the house of my father Nephthali, sacrificed * unto the gheifer Baal. 6 But I alone went often to Jerusalem at the feasts, has it was ordained unto all the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having ithe firstfruits and jtenths of increase, with kthat which was first shorn; and them gave I at the altar to the priests the children of Aaron. 7 The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of * Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem: lanother tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every year at Jerusalem: 8 and the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father. 9 Furthermore, when I was come to the age of a man, I married Anna mof mine own kindred, and of her I begat Tobias. 10 And when awe were carried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren and those that were of my kindred ndid eat of the bread of the Gentiles. 11 But I kept * myself from eating; 12 because I remembered God with all my heart. 13 And the most High gave me grace and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his * purveyor. 14 And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, nnthe brother of Gabrias, at oRages * a city of pMedia, ten talents of silver. 15 Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead; * whose estate was troubled, that I could not go into pMedia. 16 And in the time of Enemessar dI gave many alms to my brethren, and qgave my bread to the hungry, 17 qand my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast * about the walls of Nineve, rI buried him. 18 And if the king Sennacherib had slain any, when he was come, and sfled from Judea, I buried them privily; (for in his wrath he killed many;) but the bodies were not found, when they were sought for of the king. 19 And when one of the Ninevites went and complained of me to the king, that I buried them, and hid myself; understanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear. 20 Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, besides tmy wife Anna and my son Tobias. 21 And there passed not five and fifty days, before utwo of his sons killed him, and they fled into the mountains of uArarath; and * uSarchedonus his son reigned in his stead; who appointed over his father’s accounts, and over all his affairs, Achiacharus, my brother Anael’s son. 22 And Achiacharus intreating for me, I returned to Nineve. Now Achiacharus was wcupbearer, and xkeeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of the accounts: and * Sarchedonus appointed him ynext unto him: and he was my zbrother’s son.

II. Now when I was come home again, and my wife Anna was restored unto me, with my son Tobias, in athe feast of Pentecost, which is athe holy feast of the seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sat down to eat. 2 And when I saw abundance of meat, I said to my son, Go and bring what poor man soever thou shalt find out of our brethren, who is mindful of the Lord; and lo, I tarry for thee. 3 But he came again, and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the marketplace. 4 Then before I had tasted of any meat, I start up, and took him up into a room until the going down of the sun. 5 Then I returned, and washed myself, and ate my meat in heaviness, 6 remembering that prophecy of Amos, as he said, bYour feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation. 7 Therefore I wept: and after the going down of the sun I went and made a grave, and cburied him. 8 But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraid to be put to death for this matter: dwho fled away; and yet lo, he burieth the dead again.

9 The same night also I ereturned from the burial, and slept by the wall of my fcourtyard, gbeing polluted, and my face was uncovered: 10 and I knew not that there were * sparrows in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and * a whiteness came in mine eyes; and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not: moreover hAchiacharus did nourish me, until I went into iElymais. 11 And my wife Anna * did take women’s works to do. 12 And when she had sent * them home to the owners, they paid her wages, and gave her also besides a kid. 13 And when it was in mine house, and began to cry, I said unto her, From whence is this kid? is it not stolen? render it to the owners; kfor it is not lawful to eat any thing that is stolen. 14 But she replied upon me, It was given for a gift more than the wages. Howbeit I did not believe her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. lBut she replied upon me, Where are thine alms and mthy righteous deeds? * behold, thou and all thy works are known.

III. Then I being grieved did weep, and in my sorrow prayed, saying, 2 aO Lord, thou art just, and all thy works and all thy ways are mercy and truth, and thou judgest truly and justly for ever. 3 Remember me, and look on me, punish me not for my sins and bignorances, and the sins of my fathers, who have sinned before thee: 4 for they obeyed not thy commandments: wherefore thou hast delivered us cfor a spoil, and unto captivity, and unto death, and for da proverb of reproach to all the nations among whom we are dispersed. 5 And now thy judgments are many and true: deal with me according to my sins and my fathers’: because we have not kept thy commandments, neither have walked in truth before thee. 6 Now therefore edeal with me as seemeth best unto thee, and fcommand my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be * dissolved, and become earth: ffor git is profitable for me to die rather than to live, because hI have heard false reproaches, and have much sorrow: command therefore that I may now be delivered out of this distress, and go into the everlasting place: iturn not thy face away from me.

7 It came to pass the same day, that in kEcbatane a city of lMedia Sara the daughter of Raguel was also reproached by her father’s maids; 8 because that she had been married to seven husbands, whom mAsmodeus the evil spirit had killed, before they had lain with her. Dost thou not know, said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seven husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them. 9 Wherefore dost thou beat us for them? if they be dead, go thy ways after them, let us never see of thee either son or daughter. 10 When she heard these things, she was very sorrowful, so that she thought to have strangled herself; and she said, I am the only daughter of my father, and if I do this, it shall be a reproach unto him, and nI shall bring his old age with sorrow unto the grave. 11 Then she prayed otoward the window, and said, ooBlessed art thou, O Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious name is blessed and honourable for ever: plet all thy works praise thee for ever. 12 And now, O Lord, qI set mine eyes and my face toward thee, 13 and say, rTake me out of the earth, that I may hear no more the reproach. 14 Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man, 15 and that I never polluted my name, nor the name of my father, in the land of my captivity: I am the only daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to be his heir, neither any near * kinsman, nor any son of his alive, to whom I may keep myself for a wife: my seven husbands are already dead; and why should I live? but if it please not thee that I should die, command some regard to be had of me, and pity taken of me, that I hear no more reproach.

16 So the prayers of them both were heard before the majesty of the great God. 17 And sRaphael was sent to heal them both, that is, to tscale away the whiteness of Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind mAsmodeus the evil spirit; because ushe belongeth to Tobias by right of inheritance. xThe selfsame time came Tobit home, and entered into his house, and Sara the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.

IV. In that day Tobit remembered athe money which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media, 2 and said with himself, bI have wished for death; wherefore do I not call for my son Tobias, that I may signify to him of the money before I die? 3 And when he had called him, he said,

My son, when I am dead, bury me; and cdespise not thy mother, dbut honour her all the days of thy life, and do that which shall please her, and grieve her not. 4 Remember, my son, that she saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her womb; and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave. 5 My son, be mindful of the Lord our God all thy days, and elet not thy will be set to sin, or to transgress his commandments: do uprightly all thy life long, and follow not the ways of unrighteousness. 6 For if thou deal truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that live justly.

7 fGive alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, glet not thine eye be envious, hneither turn thy face…