CHAPTER I often to Ierusalem at the Feasts, as it was ordeined unto al the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having the first fruits, and tenths of encrease, with that which was first shorne, and them gave I at the Altar to the Priestes the children of Aaron. The first tenth part of al increase, I gave to the sonnes of Aaron, who ministred at Ierusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every yeere at Ierusalem. And the third, I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my fathers mother had commanded mee, because I was left an orphane by my father. His marriage, Furthermore when I was come to the age of a man, I married And captivitie, Anna of mine owne kinred, and of her I begate Tobias. And when we were caried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren, and those that were of my kinred, did eate of the bread of the Gentiles. But I kept my selfe from eating; because I remembred His preferment, God with all my heart. And the most High gave me grace, and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his purveyour. And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias at Rages a citie of Media, ten talents of silver. Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his sonne reigned in his stead, whose estate was troubled, that I could not goe into Media. And in the time of Enemessar, I gave many almes to my brethren, and gave my bread to the hungry, and my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the walles of Nineve, I buried him. And if the king Sennacherib had slaine any, when hee was come, and fledde from Iudea, I buried them privily, (for in his wrath hee killed many) but the bodies were not found, when For which he they were sought for of the king. And when one of the Ninevites went, and complained of me to the king that I buried them, and hid my selfe understanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew my selfe for feare. Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, besides my wife Anna, and my sonne Tobias. And there passed not five and fiftie dayes before two of his sonnes killed him, and they fled into the mountaines of Ararath, and Sarchedonus his sonne reigned in his stead, who appointed over his fathers accounts, and over all his affaires, Achiacharus my brother Anaels sonne. Achiacharus entreating for me, I returned to Nineve: now Achiacharus was Cup-bearer, and keeper of the Signet, and Steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto him and hee was my brothers sonne. Almes and charitie in burying the dead, is accused and flieth, And after returneth to Ninive. : And NOW CHAPTER II CHAPTER II OW when I was come home againe, and my wife Anna was Tobit leaveth restored unto me, with my sonne Tobias, in the feast of his meate to bury the dead, Pentecost, which is the holy Feast of the seven weekes, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sate down to eate. And when I saw abundance of meate, I sayd to my sonne, Goe and bring what poore man soever thou shalt finde out of our brethren, who is mindfull of the Lord, and loe, I tarie for thee. But he came againe and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the market place. Then before I had tasted of any meate, I start up and tooke him up into a roume, untill the going downe of the Sunne. Then I returned and washed my selfe, and ate my meate in heavinesse, remembring that prophesie of Amos, as hee said; Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, And all your mirth into lamentation. Therefore I wept and after the going downe of the Sunne, I went and made à grave, and buried him. But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraide to be put to death for this matter, who fledde away, and yet loe, he burieth the dead againe. The same night also I returned from the buriall, and slept by the wall of my court yard, being polluted, and my face her living. was uncovered: and I knewe not that there were Sparrowes in and becommeth the wall, and mine eyes being open, the Sparrowes muted warme blinde. doung into mine eyes, and a whitenesse came in mine eyes, and I went to the Physicians, but they helped me not: moreover Achiacharus did nourish mee, untill I went into Elymais. And my wife His wife Anna did take womens workes to doe. And when shee had sent taketh in worke to get them home to the owners, they payd her wages, and gave her also besides a kid. And when it was in mine house, and beganne to crie, I said unto her, From whence is this kidde? is it not stollen? render it to the owners, for it is not lawfull to eate any thing that is stollen. But shee replyed upon me, It was given for a gift more Her husband then the wages: Howbeit I did not beleeve her, but bade her and she fall render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. replyed upon me, Where are thine almes, and thy righteous deedes? behold, thou and all thy workes are knowen. But she out about a kidde. CHAPTER Tobit grieved taunts, prayeth. Sara reproched by her fathers maides, prayeth also. T CHAPTER III HEN I being grieved, did weepe, and in my sorrowe prayed, saying, O Lord, thou art iust and all thy workes, and all thy wayes are mercie and trueth, and thou iudgest truely and iustly for ever. Remember me, and looke on me, punish me not for my sinnes and ignorances, and the sinnes of my fathers, who have sinned before thee. For they obeyed not thy commandements, wherefore thou hast delivered us for a spoile, and unto captivitie, and unto death, and for a proverbe of reproch to all the nations among whom we are dispersed. And now thy iudgments are many and true: Deale with me according to my sinnes, and my fathers: because we have not kept thy commandements, neither have walked in trueth before thee. Now therefore deale with me as seemeth best unto thee, and command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be dissolved, and become earth: for it is profitable for me to die, rather then to live, because I have heard false reproches, and have much sorow: command therfore that I may now be delivered out of this distresse, and goe into the everlasting place: turne not thy face away from me. It came to passe the same day, that in Ecbatane a citie of Media, Sara the daughter of Raguel, was also reproched by her fathers maides, because that she had bin maried to seven husbands, whom Asmodeus the evill spirit had killed, before they had lien with her. Doest thou not knowe, said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seven husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them. Wherefore doest thou beate us for them? If they be dead, goe thy wayes after them, let us never see of thee either sonne or daughter. When she heard these things, she was very sorowful, so that she thought to have strangled her selfe, and she said, I am the onely daughter of my father, and if I doe this, it shall bee a reproch unto him, and I shall bring his old age with sorow unto the grave. Then she prayed toward the window, and said, Blessed art thou, O Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious Name is blessed, and honourable for ever, let al thy works praise thee for ever. And now, O Lord, I set mine eyes and my face toward thee, and say, Take me out of the earth, that I may heare no more the reproch. Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sinne with man, and that I never polluted my name, nor the name of my father in the land of my captivitie: I am the onely daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to bee his heire, neither any neere kinseman, nor any sonne of his alive, to whome I may keepe my selfe for a wife: my seven husbands are already CHAPTER dead, and why should I live? but if it please not thee that I should die, command some regard to be had of me, and pitie taken of me, that I heare no more reproch. So the prayers of them both were heard before the Maiesty of the great God. And An Angel is Raphael was sent to heale them both, that is, to scale away them both. sent to helpe the whitenesse of Tobits eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel, for a wife to Tobias the sonne of Tobit, and to bind Asmodeus the evil spirit, because she belongeth to Tobias by right of inheritance. The selfe same time came Tobit home, and entred into his house, and Sara, the daughter of Raguel came downe from her upper chamber. IN CHAPTER IIII instructions N that day Tobit remembred the money, which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media, and said with himselfe, I have wished for death, wherefore doe I not call for my sonne Tobias, that I may signifie to him of the money before I die. And when he had called him, he said; My sonne, when I am dead, Tobit giveth bury me, and despise not thy mother, but honour her all the dayes to his sonne of thy life, and doe that which shall please her, and greive her not. Tobias, Remember, my sonne, that shee saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her wombe, and when shee is dead, bury her by me in one grave. My sonne, be mindfull of the Lord our God all thy dayes, and let not thy will be set to sinne, or to transgresse his Commandements: doe uprightly all thy life long, and follow not the wayes of unrighteousnesse. For if thou deale truely, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that live iustly. Give almes of thy substance, and when thou givest almes, let not thine eye be envious, neither turne thy face from any poore, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee. If thou hast abundance, give almes accordingly: if thou have but a litle, be not afraid to give according to that litle. For thou layest up a good treasure for thy selfe against the day of necessitie. Because that almes doth deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darknesse. For almes is a good gift unto all that give it, in the sight of the most High. Beware of all whoredome, my sonne, and chiefely take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy fathers tribe for we are the children of the Prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaak, and Iacob: remember, my sonne, that our fathers from the beginning, even that they all maried wives of their owne kinred, and were blessed in their children, and their seede shall inherite 5: K 73 CHAPTER and telleth him of money left with Gabael in Media. Yong Tobias seeketh a guide into Media. The Angel will goe with him, the land. Now therefore my sonne, love thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sonnes and daughters of thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for in pride is destruction and much trouble, and in lewdnesse is decay, and great want: for lewdnesse is the mother of famine. Let not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tary with thee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou serve God he will also repay thee: be circumspect, my sonne, in all things thou doest, and be wise in all thy conversation. Doe that to no man which thou hatest: drinke not wine to make thee drunken; neither let drunkennesse goe with thee in thy iourney. Give of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked, and according to thine abundance give almes, and let not thine eye be envious, when thou givest almes. Powre out thy bread on the buriall of the iust, but give nothing to the wicked. Aske counsell of all that are wise, and despise not any counsell that is profitable. Blesse the Lord thy God alway, and desire of him that thy wayes may be directed, and that all thy pathes, and counsels may prosper: for every nation hath not counsell, but the Lord himselfe giveth all good things, and hee humbleth whom he will, as he will; now therefore my sonne, remember my commandements, neither let them be put out of thy minde. And now I signifie this to thee, that I committed tenne talents to Gabael the sonne of Gabrias at Rages in Media. And feare not my sonne, that we are made poore, for thou hast much wealth, if thou feare God, and depart from all sinne, and doe that which is pleasing in his sight. T CHAPTER V NOBIAS then answered and said, Father, I will doe all things which thou hast commanded me. But how can I receive the money, seeing I know him not? Then he gave him the handwriting, and said unto him, Seeke thee a man which may goe with thee whiles I yet live, and I will give him wages, and goe, and receive the money. Therefore when he went to seeke a man, he found Raphael that was an Angell. But he knew not; and he said unto him, Canst thou goe with me to Rages? and knowest thou those places well? To whom the Angel said, I will goe with thee, and I know the way well: for I have lodged with our brother Gabael. Then Tobias said unto him, Tary for me till I tell my father. Then he said unto him, Goe and tary not; so he went in, and said to his father; Behold, I have found one, which wil goe with me. Then he said, Call him unto me, that I |