| 1 Tobit, da tribo e da cidade de Neftali (situada na Galileia superior, acima de Naasson, atrás do caminho do ocidente, tendo à esquerda a cidade de Sefet), | 1 The book of the acts of Tobit the son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael, of the descendants of Asiel and the tribe of Naphtali, |
| 2 foi levado para o cativeiro no tempo de Salmanasar, rei dos assírios. Embora cativo, ele não abandonou o caminho da verdade. | 2 who in the days of Shalmaneser, king of the Assyrians, was taken into captivity from Thisbe, which is to the south of Kedesh Naphtali in Galilee above Asher. |
| 3 Tudo aquilo de que podia dispor distribuía cada dia a seus irmãos de raça, que partilhavam com ele sua sorte de cativo. | 3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh. |
| 4 Embora fosse ele o mais jovem da tribo de Neftali, seu proceder nada tinha de pueril. | 4 Now when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of Naphtali my forefather deserted the house of Jerusalem. This was the place which had been chosen from among all the tribes of Israel, where all the tribes should sacrifice and where the temple of the dwelling of the Most High was consecrated and established for all generations for ever. |
| 5 Por isso, enquanto todos eles iam adorar os bezerros de ouro que o rei de Israel, Jeroboão, tinha feito, só ele fugia da companhia de todos e | 5 All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf Baal, and so did the house of Naphtali my forefather. |
| 6 dirigia-se ao Templo do Senhor em Jerusalém, onde adorava o Senhor, Deus de Israel, oferecendo fielmente as primícias e os dízimos de todos os seus bens. | 6 But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the feasts, as it is ordained for all Israel by an everlasting decree. Taking the first fruits and the tithes of my produce and the first shearings, I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar. |
| 7 De três em três anos, dava aos prosélitos e aos estrangeiros todo o seu dízimo. | 7 Of all my produce I would give a tenth to the sons of Levi who ministered at Jerusalem; a second tenth I would sell, and I would go and spend the proceeds each year at Jerusalem; |
| 8 Esta e outras práticas semelhantes da Lei de Deus, tinha observado desde a sua infância. | 8 the third tenth I would give to those to whom it was my duty, as Deborah my father's mother had commanded me, for I was left an orphan by my father. |
| 9 Quando se tornou adulto, desposou uma mulher de sua tribo, chamada Ana, da qual teve um filho, a quem deu o nome de Tobias. | 9 When I became a man I married Anna, a member of our family, and by her I became the father of Tobias. |
| 10 Ensinou-lhe desde a sua mais tenra idade a temer a Deus e a se abster de todo pecado. | 10 Now when I was carried away captive to Nineveh, all my brethren and my relatives ate the food of the Gentiles; |
| 11 Desse modo, quando chegou com sua mulher e seu filho, como cativo, no meio de sua tribo, à cidade de Nínive, | 11 but I kept myself from eating it, |
| 12 embora todos os outros comessem dos alimentos dos pagãos, guardou sua alma pura e jamais contraiu mancha alguma com seus alimentos. | 12 because I remembered God with all my heart. |
| 13 E porque ele conservava com todo o seu coração a lembrança de Deus, Deus tornou-o simpático ao rei Salmanasar, | 13 Then the Most High gave me favor and good appearance in the sight of Shalmaneser, and I was his buyer of provisions. |
| 14 que o autorizou a ir aonde quisesse e a fazer o que quer que lhe agradasse. | 14 So I used to go into Media, and once at Rages in Media I left ten talents of silver in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias. |
| 15 Ele ia, pois, visitar todos os deportados e dava-lhes conselhos salutares. | 15 But when Shalmaneser died, Sennacherib his son reigned in his place; and under him the highways were unsafe, so that I could no longer go into Media. |
| 16 Foi um dia a Ragés, cidade da Média, com dez talentos de prata que o rei lhe tinha dado.* | 16 In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my brethren. |
| 17 Encontrando entre a multidão dos seus compatriotas um homem de sua tribo, chamado Gabael, o qual se achava em dificuldades, deu-lhe a sobredita quantia de prata, mediante um recibo. | 17 I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury him. |
| 18 Passou o tempo. Salmanasar morreu e Senaquerib, seu filho, sucedeu-lhe no trono. Ora, Senaquerib odiava os israelitas. | 18 And if Sennacherib the king put to death any who came fleeing from Judea, I buried them secretly. For in his anger he put many to death. When the bodies were sought by the king, they were not found. |
| 19 Tobit ia diariamente visitar toda a sua parentela, consolava-a e distribuía dos seus bens a cada um, segundo as suas posses. | 19 Then one of the men of Nineveh went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them; so I hid myself. When I learned that I was being searched for, to be put to death, I left home in fear. |
| 20 Alimentava os famintos, vestia os nus e, com uma solicitude toda particular, sepultava os defuntos e os que tinham sido mortos. | 20 Then all my property was confiscated and nothing was left to me except my wife Anna and my son Tobias. |
| 21 Quando o rei Senaquerib, fugindo da Judeia ao castigo com que Deus o ferira por suas blasfêmias, mandou assassinar, na sua ira, um grande número de israelitas. Tobit sepultou os seus cadáveres.* | 21 But not fifty days passed before two of Sennacherib's sons killed him, and they fled to the mountains of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon, his son, reigned in his place; and he appointed Ahikar, the son of my brother Anael, over all the accounts of his kingdom and over the entire administration. |
| 22 Denunciaram-no ao rei, que o mandou matar e confiscou todos os seus bens. | 22 Ahikar interceded for me, and I returned to Nineveh. Now Ahikar was cupbearer, keeper of the signet, and in charge of administration of the accounts, for Esarhaddon had appointed him second to himself. He was my nephew. |
| 23 Tobit, porém, despojado de tudo, fugiu com seu filho e sua mulher e, como tinha muitos amigos, conseguiu permanecer oculto. | |
| 24 Ora, quarenta e cinco dias depois, o rei foi assassinado por seus filhos, | |
| 25 e Tobit voltou para a sua casa; e foram-lhe restituídos todos os seus bens.* | |
