Tobit 1

¹Tobias 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,)

²When he was made captive in the days of Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, even in his captivity, forsook not the way of truth,

³But every day gave all he could get to his brethren his fellow captives, that were of his kindred.

⁴And when he was younger than any of the tribe of Nephtali, yet did he no childish thing in his work.

⁵Moreover when all went to the golden calves which Jeroboam king of Israel had made, he alone fled the company of all,

⁶And 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,

⁷So that in the third year he gave all his tithes to the proselytes, and strangers.

⁸These and such like things did he observe when but a boy according to the law of God.

⁹But 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,

¹⁰And from his infancy he taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin.

¹¹And when by the captivity he with his wife and his son and all his tribe was come to the city of Ninive,

¹²(When all ate of the meats of the Gentiles) he kept his soul and never was defiled with their meats.

¹³And because he was mindful of the Lord with all his heart, God gave him favour in the sight of Salmanasar the king.

¹⁴And he gave him leave to go whithersoever he would, with liberty to do whatever he had a mind.

¹⁵He therefore went to all that were in captivity, and gave them wholesome admonitions.

¹⁶And 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:

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸But 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:

¹⁹Tobias daily went among all his kindred and comforted them, and distributed to every one as he was able, out of his goods:

²⁰He fed the hungry, and gave clothes to the naked, and was careful to bury the dead, and they that were slain.

²¹And 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.

²²But when it was told the king, he commanded him to be slain, and took away all his substance.

²³But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son and with his wife, lay concealed, for many loved him.

²⁴But after forty-five days, the king was killed by his own sons.

²⁵And Tobias returned to his house, and all his substance was restored to him.

Tobit 1

¹Tobit was from the tribe and city of Naphtali (which is in the upper parts of Galilee above Asher, after the way, which leads to the west, that has on its left the city of Sephet).

²Although he had been taken captive in the days of Shalmaneser, the king of the Assyrians, even in such a situation as captivity, he did not desert the way of truth.

³So then, every day, all that he was able to obtain, he bestowed on his fellow captive brothers, who were from his kindred.

⁴And, when he was among the youngest of any in the tribe of Naphtali, he showed not so much as any childish behavior in his work.

⁵And then, when all went to the golden calves which Jeroboam, king of Israel, had made, he alone fled from the company of them all.

⁶Yet he continued on to Jerusalem, to the temple of the Lord, and there he adored the Lord God of Israel, offering faithfully all his first-fruits and his tithes.

⁷So then, in the third year, he administered all his tithes to new converts and to new arrivals.

⁸These and similar such things, even as a boy, he observed according to the law of God.

⁹Truly, when he had become a man, he received as wife Anna of his own tribe, and he conceived a son by her, to whom he assigned his own name.

¹⁰From his infancy, he taught him to fear God and to abstain from all sin.

¹¹Therefore, when, during the captivity, he had arrived with his wife and son at the city of Nineveh, with all his tribe,

¹²(even though they all ate from the foods of the Gentiles,) he guarded his soul and never was contaminated with their foods.

¹³And because he was mindful of the Lord with his whole heart, God gave him favor in the sight of Shalmaneser the king.

¹⁴And he gave him the power to go wherever he would want, having the freedom to do whatever he wished.

¹⁵Therefore, he continued on to all who were in captivity, and he gave them helpful advice.

¹⁶But when he had arrived at Rages, a city of the Medes, he had ten talents of silver, from that which he had been given in honor by the king.

¹⁷And when, in the midst of the great tumult of his kindred, he saw the destitution of Gabael, who was from his tribe, he loaned him, under a written agreement, the aforementioned weight of silver.

¹⁸In truth, after a long time, Shalmaneser the king died, while Sennacherib his son reigned in his place, and he held a hatred for the sons of Israel.

¹⁹Every day, Tobit traveled through all his own people, and he consoled them, and he distributed to each one as much as he could from his resources.

²⁰He nourished the hungry, and he supplied clothes to the naked, and he showed concern for the burial of the dead and of the slain.

²¹And then, when king Sennacherib had returned from Judea, fleeing the scourge which God had caused all around him because of his blasphemy, and, being angry, he was slaughtering many from the sons of Israel, Tobit buried their bodies.

²²And when it was reported to the king, he ordered him to be slain, and he took away all his belongings.

²³In truth, Tobit, fleeing with nothing but his son and his wife, was able to remain hidden because many loved him.

²⁴In truth, after forty-five days, the king was slain by his own sons,

²⁵and Tobit was able to return to his house, and all his resources were restored to him.