Tobit 4

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Therefore when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son,	1 The same day Tobit remembered the silver that he had left with Gabael at Rhages in Media
2 And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.	2 and thought, 'I have come to the point of praying for death; I should do wel to cal my son Tobias andtel him about the money before I die.'
3 When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life:	3 He summoned his son Tobias and told him, 'When I die, give me an honourable burial. Honour yourmother, and never abandon her al the days of your life. Do al that she wants, and give her no reason for sorrow.
4 For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.	4 Remember, my child, al the risks she ran for your sake when you were in her womb. And when shedies, bury her at my side in the same grave.
5 And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.	5 'My child, be faithful to the Lord all your days. Never entertain the wil to sin or to transgress his laws.Do good works all the days of your life, never fol ow ways that are not upright;
6 And all the days of thy life have God in thy mind: and take heed thou never consent to sin, nor transgress the commandments of the Lord our God.	6 for if you act in truthfulness, you wil be successful in al your actions, as everyone is who practises whatis upright.
7 Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee.	7 'Set aside part of your goods for almsgiving. Never turn your face from the poor and God will never turnhis from you.
8 According to thy ability be merciful.	8 Measure your alms by what you have; if you have much, give more; if you have little, do not be afraid togive less in alms.
9 If thou have much give abundantly: if thou have a little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.	9 So doing, you wil lay up for yourself a great treasure for the day of necessity.
10 For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.	10 For almsgiving delivers from death and saves people from passing down to darkness.
11 For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.	11 Almsgiving is a most effective offering for all those who do it in the presence of the Most High.
12 Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.	12 'My child, avoid al loose conduct. Choose a wife of your father's stock. Do not take a foreign wifeoutside your father's tribe, because we are the children of the prophets. Remember Noah, Abraham, Isaac andJacob, our ancestors from the beginning. Al of them took wives from their own kindred, and they were blessed intheir children, and their race wil inherit the earth.
13 Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.	13 You, too, my child, must love your own brothers; never presume to despise your brothers, the sonsand daughters of your people; choose your wife from among them. For pride brings ruin and much worry;idleness causes need and poverty, for the mother of famine is idleness.
14 Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning.	14 'Do not keep back until next day the wages of those who work for you; pay them at once. If you serveGod you will be rewarded. Be careful, my child, in al you do, wel -disciplined in al your behaviour.
15 If any man hath done any work for thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the wages of thy hired servant stay with thee at all.	15 Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness; donot let excess be your travel ing companion.
16 See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.	16 'Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who lack clothing. Of whateveryou own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving; and when you give alms, do it ungrudgingly.
17 Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked.	17 Be generous with bread and wine on the graves of upright people, but not for the sinner.
18 Lay out thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.	18 'Ask advice of every wise person; never scorn any profitable advice.
19 Seek counsel always of a wise man.	19 Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes totheir end. For wisdom is not the property of every nation; their desire for what is good is conferred by the Lord. Athis will he lifts up or he casts down to the depths of the dwelling of the dead. So now, my child, remember theseprecepts and never let them fade from your heart.
20 Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.	20 'Now, my child, I must tell you I have left ten talents of silver with Gabael son of Gabrias, at Rhages inMedia.
21 I tell thee also, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages a city of the Medes, and I have a note of his hand with me:	21 Do not be afraid, my child, if we have grown poor. You have great wealth if you fear God, if you shun every kind of sin and if you do what is pleasing to the Lord your God.'
22 Now therefore inquire how thou mayst go to him, and receive of him the foresaid sum of money, and restore to him the note of his hand.
23 Fear not, my son: we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.