Tobit 4

¹Therefore when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son,

²And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.

³When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life:

⁴For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.

⁵And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.

⁶And 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.

⁷Give 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.

⁸According to thy ability be merciful.

⁹If thou have much give abundantly: if thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.

¹⁰For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.

¹¹For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.

¹²Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.

¹³Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.

¹⁴Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning.

¹⁵If 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.

¹⁶See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.

¹⁷Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked,

¹⁸Lay out thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.

¹⁹Seek counsel always of a wise man.

²⁰Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.

²¹I 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:

²²Now 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.

²³Fear 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.

Tobit 4

¹Therefore, when Tobit considered that his prayer was heard, so that he might be able to die, he called his son Tobias to him.

²And he said to him: “My son, hear the words of my mouth, and set them, like a foundation, in your heart.

³When God will receive my soul, bury my body. And you shall honor your mother, all the days of her life.

⁴For you are obliged to be mindful of what great perils she suffered because of you in her womb.

⁵But when she too will have completed the time of her life, bury her near me.

⁶Yet, for all the days of your life, have God in your mind. And be careful that you never consent to sin, nor overlook the precepts of the Lord our God.

⁷Give alms from your substance, and do not turn away your face from any pauper. For so it shall be that neither will the face of the Lord be turned away from you.

⁸In whatever way that you are able, so shall you be merciful.

⁹If you have much, distribute abundantly. If you have little, nevertheless strive to bestow a little freely.

¹⁰For you store up for yourself a good reward for the day of necessity.

¹¹For almsgiving liberates from every sin and from death, and it will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.

¹²Almsgiving will be a great act of faith before the most high God, for all those who practice it.

¹³Take care to keep yourself, my son, from all fornication, and, except for your wife, never permit yourself to know such an offense.

¹⁴Never permit arrogance to rule in your mind or in your words. For in it, all perdition had its beginning.

¹⁵And whoever has done any kind of work for you, immediately pay him his wages, and do not let the wages of your hired hand remain with you at all.

¹⁶Whatever you would hate to have done to you by another, see that you never do so to another.

¹⁷Eat your bread with the hungry and the needy, and cover the naked with your own garments.

¹⁸Set out your bread and your wine at the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink from it with sinners.

¹⁹Always seek the counsel of a wise man.

²⁰Bless God at all times. And petition him that he direct your ways and that all your counsels may remain in him.

²¹And now, I reveal to you, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while you were still a young child, to Gabael, in Rages, a city of the Medes, and I have his written agreement with me.

²²And so, inquire how you may travel to him and receive from him the aforementioned weight of silver, and return to him the written agreement.

²³Do not be afraid, my son. We do indeed lead a poor life, but we will have many good things: if we fear God, and withdraw from all sin, and do what is good.”