Tobit 1
1
1I am Tobit and this is the story of my life. My father was Tobiel, my grandfather was Ananiel, and my great-grandfather was Aduel. Aduel's father was Gabael; his grandfather was Raphael; and his great-grandfather was Raguel, who belonged to the clan of Asiel, a part of the tribe of Naphtali. 2#2 Kgs 17.3; 18.9During the time that Shalmaneser was emperor of Assyria, I was taken captive in my home town of Thisbe, located in northern Galilee, south of Kadesh in Naphtali, north-west of Hazor, and north of Phogor.
Tobit's Early Life
3All my life I have been honest and have tried to do what was right. I have often given money to help needy relatives and fellow-Jews who were deported with me to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.
4When I was young, I lived in northern Israel. All the tribes in Israel were supposed to offer sacrifices in Jerusalem. It was the one city that God had chosen from among all the Israelite cities as the place where his Temple was to be built for his holy and eternal home. But my entire tribe of Naphtali rejected the city of Jerusalem and the kings descended from David. 5#1 Kgs 12.28–29Like everyone else in this tribe, my own family used to go to the city of Dan in the mountains of northern Galilee to offer sacrifices to the gold bull-calf which King Jeroboam of Israel had set up there.
Tobit's Faithfulness to His Religion
6 #
Deut 16.16
I was the only one in my family who regularly went to Jerusalem to celebrate the religious festivals, as the Law of Moses commands everyone to do. I would hurry off to Jerusalem with the first part of my harvest, the firstborn of my animals, a tenth of my cattle, and the freshly clipped wool from my sheep. Then I would stand before the altar in the Temple, and give these offerings to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 7I would give a tenth of my grain, wine, olive-oil, pomegranates, figs and other fruits to the Levites who served God in Jerusalem. Every year, except the seventh year when the land was at rest,#1.7 the land was at rest: See Lev 25.1–7. I would sell a second tenth of my possessions and spend the money in Jerusalem on the festival meal.
8But every third year, I would give a third tithe#1.8 a third tithe; some manuscripts have the money. to widows and orphans and to foreigners living among my people, and we would eat the festival meal together. I did this in keeping with the Law of Moses, which Deborah, the mother of my grandfather Ananiel, had taught me to obey. (I had been left an orphan when my father died.)
Tobit's Faithfulness in Exile
9When I grew up, I married Anna, a member of my own tribe. We had a son and named him Tobias. 10Later, I was taken captive and deported to Assyria, and that is how I came to live in Nineveh.
While we lived in Nineveh, all my relatives and fellow-Jews used to eat the same kind of food as the other people who lived there, 11but I refused to do so. 12Since I took seriously the commands of the Most High God, 13he made Emperor Shalmaneser respect me, and I was placed in charge of purchasing all the emperor's supplies.
14Before the emperor died, I made regular visits to the land of Media to buy things for him there. Once, when I was in the city of Rages in Media, I left some bags of money there with Gabael, Gabrias' brother, and asked him to keep them for me. There were more than 300 kilogrammes of silver coins in those bags. 15When Shalmaneser died, his son Sennacherib succeeded him as emperor. It soon became so dangerous to travel on the roads in Media that I could no longer go there.
Tobit Buries the Dead
16While Shalmaneser was still emperor, I took good care of my fellow-Jews whenever they were in need. 17#Job 31.16–20If they were hungry, I shared my food with them; if they needed clothes, I gave them some of my own. Whenever I saw that the dead body of one of my people had been thrown outside the city wall, I gave it a decent burial.
18One day Sennacherib cursed God, the King of Heaven; God punished him, and Sennacherib had to retreat from Judah. On his way back to Media he was so furious that he killed many Israelites. But I secretly removed the bodies and buried them; and when Sennacherib later searched for the bodies, he could not find them.
19Then someone from Nineveh told the emperor that I was the one who had been burying his victims. As soon as I realized that the emperor knew all about me and that my life was in danger, I became frightened. So I ran away and hid. 20Everything I owned was seized and put in the royal treasury. My wife Anna and my son Tobias were all I had left.
Tobit's Nephew Rescues Him
21About six weeks later, two of Sennacherib's sons assassinated him and then escaped to the mountains of Ararat. Another son, Esarhaddon, became emperor and put Ahikar, my brother Anael's son, in charge of all the financial affairs of the empire. 22This was actually the second time Ahikar was appointed to this position, for when Sennacherib was emperor of Assyria, Ahikar had been wine steward, treasurer, and accountant, and had been in charge of the official seal. Since Ahikar was my nephew, he put in a good word for me with the emperor, and I was allowed to return to Nineveh.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Tobit 1
1
1The book of the words of Tobit, the son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali; 2Who in the days of #1.2 That is Shalmaneser. Compare 2 Kin. 17.3,23.Enemessar king of the Assyrians was carried away captive out of #Cp. 1 Kin. 17.1.Thisbe, which is on the right hand of #2 Kin. 15.29. Cp. Josh. 19.37 & 20.7.Kedesh Naphtali in Galilee above Asher.
3I Tobit walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I did #Acts 9.36. See Lev. 25.35.many almsdeeds to my brethren and my nation, who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh. 4And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel, while I was yet young, #1 Kin. 12.19,20.all the tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, and the temple of the habitation of the Most High was hallowed and built therein for all ages. 5And all the tribes which fell away together #See 1 Kin. 12.28-30.sacrificed to #Cp. Hos. 13.1,2.the heifer Baal, and so did the house of Naphtali my father. 6And I alone went often to Jerusalem at the feasts, #See Deut. 16.16.as it hath been ordained unto all Israel by an everlasting decree, #Ex. 22.29. Deut. 12.6.having the firstfruits and the tenths of mine increase, and #Deut. 18.4.that which was first shorn; and I gave them at the altar to the priests the sons of Aaron. 7#Num. 18.21.The tenth part of all mine increase I gave to the sons of Levi, who ministered at Jerusalem: and #Deut. 14.25,26.the second tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it each year at Jerusalem: 8And #Cp. Deut. 14.28,29.the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Deborah my father's mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father. 9And when I became a man, I took to wife #ch. 2.1.Anna of the seed #Cp. Num. 36.6,7.of our own family, and of her I begat Tobias. 10And when I was carried away captive to Nineveh, all my brethren and those that were of my kindred did eat of #Ezek. 4.13. Hos. 9.3.the bread of the Gentiles: 11#See Judith 12.2.But I kept myself from eating, 12Because I remembered God with all my soul. 13And the Most High gave me grace and #1.13 Gr. beauty.favour in the sight of #ver. 2.Enemessar, and I was his purveyor. 14#Cp. ch. 14.4.And I went into Media, and left in trust with #Cp. ch. 4.20.Gabael, the brother of Gabrias, at #ch. 4.1 & 5.5 & 6.9,12 & 9.2. Cp. Judith 1.5,15.Rages of Media, ten talents of silver.
15And when #ver. 2.Enemessar was dead, #2 Kin. 18.13.Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead; and #1.15 Gr. his highways were troubled.in his time the highways were troubled, and I could no more go into Media. 16And in the days of #ver. 2.Enemessar I did #See ver. 1.3.many almsdeeds to my brethren: #ch. 4.16. Job 31.17,19. Is. 58.7.I gave my bread to the hungry, 17And my garments to the naked: and if I saw any of my race dead, and cast forth #1.17 Some ancient authorities read behind.on the wall of Nineveh, #ch. 2.7,8 & 8.12 & 12.12. Cp. 2 Esd. 2.23 & Ecclus. 38.16.I buried him. 18And if #2 Kin. 18.13.Sennacherib the king slew any, when he came #2 Kin. 19.35,36. Is. 37.36,37. Ecclus. 48.18,21. 1 Mac. 7.41. 2 Mac. 8.19 & 15.22.fleeing from Judæa, #ch. 2.7,8 & 8.12 & 12.12. Cp. 2 Esd. 2.23 & Ecclus. 38.16.I buried them privily; for in his wrath he slew many; and the bodies were sought for by the king, and were not found. 19But one of the Ninevites went and shewed to the king concerning me, how that I buried them, and hid myself; and when I knew that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear. 20#Cp. ch. 4.21.And all my goods were forcibly taken away, and there was nothing left unto me, save my wife #ch. 2.1.Anna and my son Tobias. 21And there passed not five and fifty days, before #2 Kin. 19.37. 2 Chr. 32.21. Is. 37.38.two of his sons slew him, and they fled into the mountains of #See Gen. 8.4.Ararat. And #1.21 That is Esar-haddon, and so in ver. 22.Sarchedonus his son reigned in his stead; and he appointed over all the accounts of his kingdom, and over all his affairs, #ch. 2.10 & 11.18 & 14.10.Achiacharus my brother Anael's son. 22And #ch. 2.10 & 11.18 & 14.10.Achiacharus made request for me, and I came to Nineveh. Now #ch. 2.10 & 11.18 & 14.10.Achiacharus was #Cp. Neh. 1.11.cupbearer, and #Gen. 41.42. Esth. 8.2.keeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him #Cp. Gen. 41.40.next unto himself: but he was my brother's son.
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society