Tobit 1

1 The book of the words of Tobit son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael, of the seed of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali — [a] 2 who in the days of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was carried off captive out of Thisbe, which lies to the right of Kydios of Naphtali in Galilee, above Asher. [b]

3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I did many acts of mercy for my kinsmen and for my people, those who went with me into the country of the Assyrians, to Nineveh. 4 And when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still young, the whole tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of Jerusalem — the city chosen out of all the tribes of Israel for all the tribes to sacrifice in, where the temple of the dwelling of the Most High had been made holy and built for all the generations of the age. 5 And all the tribes that fell away together sacrificed to Baal the heifer, and so did the house of Naphtali my father.

6 But I alone went up again and again to Jerusalem at the feasts, as it is written for all Israel by an everlasting decree, carrying the firstfruits and the tenths of the produce and the first shearings. 7 And I gave them to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar — of all the produce. The tenth I gave to the sons of Levi who serve in Jerusalem. And the second tenth I sold for money, and I went and spent it in Jerusalem year by year. [c] 8 And the third tenth I gave to those to whom it was due, as Deborah my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left fatherless by my father.

9 And when I became a man, I took Anna as my wife, from the seed of our own family, and by her I fathered Tobias. [d] 10 And when I was carried away captive to Nineveh, all my kinsmen and those of my family ate the bread of the nations, 11 but I kept my soul from eating it, 12 because I remembered God with my whole soul.

13 And the Most High gave me favor and a good appearance before Enemessar, and I became his buyer. [e] 14 And I used to travel into Media, and I left in trust with Gabael the brother of Gabrias, at Rages in Media, about seven hundred and fifty pounds of silver. [f] 15 And when Enemessar died, Sennacherib his son reigned in his place, and his roads became unsettled, and I could no longer travel into Media. [g]

16 And in the days of Enemessar I did many acts of mercy for my kinsmen. 17 I gave my bread to the hungry and my clothes to the naked; and if I saw one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I buried him. [h] 18 And if Sennacherib the king killed anyone when he came fleeing from Judea, I buried them by stealth — for he killed many in his rage — and the bodies were looked for by the king and were not found. †

19 But one of the men of Nineveh went and told the king about me, that I was burying them, and I hid myself. And when I understood that I was being sought, to be put to death, I was afraid and withdrew. 20 And everything I owned was plundered, and nothing at all was left to me except Anna my wife and Tobias my son.

21 And fifty days had not gone by before his two sons killed him, and they fled to the mountains of Ararat; and Sacherdonos his son reigned in his place. And he set Achiacharus, the son of Anael my brother, over all the accounting of his kingdom and over all its management. [i] 22 And Achiacharus made request for me, and I came to Nineveh. Now Achiacharus was the cupbearer, and the keeper of the signet ring, and the manager, and the accountant; and Sacherdonos appointed him second to himself. And he was my cousin. [j]