Tobit 1

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The tale of Tobit son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael, of the lineage of Asiel andtribe of Naphtali.	1 Tobias of the tribe and city of Nephtali, (which is in the upper parts of Galilee above Naasson, beyond the way that leadeth to the west, having on the right hand the city of Sephet,)
2 In the days of Shalmaneser king of Assyria, he was exiled from Thisbe, which is south of Kedesh-Naphtali in Upper Galilee, above Hazor, some distance to the west, north of Shephat.	2 When he was made captive in the days of Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, even in his captivity, forsook not the way of truth,
3 I, Tobit, have walked in paths of truth and in good works al the days of my life. I have given much inalms to my brothers and fel ow country-folk, exiled like me to Nineveh in the country of Assyria.	3 But every day gave all he could get to his brethren his fellow captives, that were of his kindred.
4 In my young days, when I was still at home in the land of Israel, the whole tribe of Naphtali my ancestorbroke away from the House of David and from Jerusalem, though this was the city chosen out of al the tribes ofIsrael for their sacrifices; here, the Temple -- God's dwelling-place -- had been built and hallowed for algenerations to come.	4 And when he was younger than any of the tribe of Nephtali, yet did he no childish thing in his work.
5 All my brothers and the House of Naphtali sacrificed on every hil -top in Galilee to the calf thatJeroboam king of Israel had made at Dan.	5 Moreover when all went to the golden calves which Jeroboam king of Israel had made, he alone fled the company of all,
6 Often I was quite alone in making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, fulfil ing the Law that binds al Israelperpetual y. I would hurry to Jerusalem with the first yield of fruits and beasts, the tithe of cattle and the sheep'sfirst shearings.	6 And went to Jerusalem to the temple of the Lord, and there adored the Lord God of Israel, offering faithfully all his firstfruits, and his tithes,
7 I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the altar. To the Levites ministering atJerusalem I would give my tithe of wine and corn, olives, pomegranates and other fruits. Six years in successionI took the second tithe in money and went and paid it annual y at Jerusalem.	7 So that in the third year he gave all his tithes to the proselytes, and strangers.
8 I gave the third to orphans and widows and to the strangers who live among the Israelites; I brought itthem as a gift every three years. When we ate, we obeyed both the ordinances of the law of Moses and theexhortations of Deborah the mother of our ancestor Ananiel; for my father had died and left me an orphan.	8 These and such like things did he observe when but a boy according to the law of God.
9 When I came to man's estate, I married a woman from our kinsfolk whose name was Anna; she boreme a son whom I cal ed Tobias.	9 But when he was a man, he took to wife Anna of his own tribe, and had a son by her, whom he called after his own name,
10 When the banishment into Assyria came, I was taken away and went to Nineveh. Al my brothers andthe people of my race ate the food of the heathen,	10 And from his infancy he taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin.
11 but for my part I was careful not to eat the food of the heathen.	11 And when by the captivity he with his wife and his son and all his tribe was come to the city of Ninive,
12 And because I had kept faith with my God with my whole heart,	12 (When all ate of the meats of the Gentiles) he kept his soul and never was defiled with their meats.
13 the Most High granted me the favour of Shalmaneser, and I became the king's purveyor.	13 And because he was mindful of the Lord with all his heart, God gave him favour in the sight of Salmanasar the king.
14 Until his death I used to travel to Media, where I transacted business on his behalf, and I depositedsacks of silver worth ten talents with Gabael the brother of Gabrias at Rhages in Media.	14 And he gave him leave to go whithersoever he would, with liberty to do whatever he had a mind.
15 On the death of Shalmaneser his son Sennacherib succeeded; the roads into Media were barred, andI could no longer go there.	15 He therefore went to all that were in captivity, and gave them wholesome admonitions.
16 In the days of Shalmaneser I had often given alms to the people of my race;	16 And when he was come to Rages a city of the Medes, and had ten talents of silver of that with which he had been honoured by the king:
17 I gave my bread to the hungry and clothes to those who lacked them; and I buried, when I saw them,the bodies of my country-folk thrown over the wal s of Nineveh.	17 And when amongst a great multitude of his kindred, he saw Gabelus in want, who was one of his tribe, taking a note of his hand he gave him the aforesaid sum of money.
18 I also buried those who were kil ed by Sennacherib. When Sennacherib was beating a disorderlyretreat from Judaea after the King of heaven had punished his blasphemies, he kil ed a great number ofIsraelites in his rage. So I stole their bodies to bury them; Sennacherib looked for them and could not find them.	18 But after a long time, Salmanasar the king being dead, when Sennacherib his son, who reigned in his place, had a hatred for the children of Israel:
19 A Ninevite went and told the king it was I who had buried them secretly. When I knew that the king hadbeen told about me and saw myself being hunted by men who would put me to death, I was afraid and fled.	19 Tobias daily went among all his kindred, and comforted them, and distributed to every one as he was able, out of his goods:
20 Al my goods were seized; they were al confiscated by the treasury; nothing was left me but my wifeAnna and my son Tobias.	20 He fed the hungry, and gave clothes to the naked, and was careful to bury the dead, and they that were slain.
21 Less than forty days after this, the king was murdered by his two sons, who then fled to the mountainsof Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded. Ahikar the son of my brother Anael, was appointed chancellor of theexchequer for the kingdom and given the main ordering of affairs.	21 And when king Sennacherib was come back, fleeing from Judea by reason of the slaughter that God had made about him for his blasphemy, and being angry slew many of the children of Israel, Tobias buried their bodies.
22 Ahikar then interceded for me and I was al owed to return to Nineveh, since Ahikar had been chiefcupbearer, keeper of the signet, administrator and treasurer under Sennacherib king of Assyria, and Esarhaddon had kept him in office. He was a relation of mine; he was my nephew.	22 But when it was told the king, he commanded him to be slain, and took away all his substance.
	23 But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son and with his wife, lay concealed, for many loved him.
	24 But after forty-five days, the king was killed by his own sons.
	25 And Tobias returned to his house, and all his substance was restored to him.