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

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

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

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

And 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,

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

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

But 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

And 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:

And 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.

But 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:

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

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

And 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.

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

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

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

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

But after this, when there was a festival of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias’s house,

He said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe that fear God, to feast with us.

And when he had gone, returning he told him, that one of the children of Israel lay slain in the street. And he forthwith leaped up from his place at the table, and left his dinner, and came fasting to the body.

And taking it up carried it privately to his house, that after the sun was down, he might bury him cautiously.

And when he had hid the body, he ate bread with mourning and fear,

Remembering the word which the Lord spoke by Amos the prophet: Your festival days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.

So when the sun was down, he went and buried him.

Now all his neighbours blamed him, saying: once already commandment was given for thee to be slain because of this matter, and thou didst scarce escape the sentence of death, and dost thou again bury the dead?

But Tobias fearing God more than the king, carried off the bodies of them that were slain, and hid them in his house, and at midnight buried them.

Now it happened one day that being wearied with burying, he came to his house, and cast himself down by the wall and slept,

And as he was sleeping, hot dung out of a swallow’s nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.

Now this trial the Lord therefore permitted to happen to him, that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, as also of holy Job.

For whereas he had always feared God from his infancy, and kept his commandments, he repined not against God because the evil of blindness had befallen him,

But continued immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life.

For as the kings insulted over holy Job: so his relations and kinsmen mocked at his life, saying:

Where is thy hope, for which thou gavest alms, and buriedst the dead?

But Tobias rebuked them, saying: Speak not so:

For we are the children of saints, and look for that life which God will give to those that never change their faith from him.

Now Anna his wife went daily to weaving work, and she brought home what she could get for their living by the labour of her hands.

Whereby it came to pass, that she received a young kid, and brought it home:

And when her husband heard it bleating, he said: Take heed, lest perhaps it be stolen: restore ye it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to touch any thing that cometh by theft.

At these words his wife being angry answered: It is evident thy hope is come to nothing, and thy alms now appear.

And with these and other, such like words she upbraided him.

Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears,

Saying, Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment:

And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.

For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us.

And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee.

And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live.

Now it happened on the same day, that Sara daughter of Raguel, in Rages a city of the Medes, received a reproach from one of her father’s servant maids,

Because she had been given to seven husbands and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her.

So when she reproved the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying: May we never see son, or daughter of thee upon the earth, thou murderer of thy husbands.

Wilt thou kill me also, as thou hast already killed seven husbands? At these words, she went into an upper chamber of her house: and for three days and three nights did neither eat nor drink:

But continuing in prayer with tears besought God, that he would deliver her from this reproach.

And it came to pass on the third day when she was making an end of her prayer, blessing the Lord,

She said: Blessed is thy name, O God of our fathers, who when thou hast been angry, wilt shew mercy, and in the time of tribulation forgivest the sins of them that call upon thee.

To thee, O Lord, I turn my face, to thee I direct my eyes.

I beg, O Lord, that thou loose me from the bond of this reproach, or else take me away from the earth.

Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never coveted a husband, and have kept my soul clean from all lust.

Never have I joined myself with them that play: neither have I made myself partaker with them that walk in lightness.

But a husband I consented to take, with thy fear, not with my lust.

And either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me: because perhaps thou hast kept me for another man,

For thy counsel is not in man’s power.

But this every one is sure of that worshippeth thee, that his life, if it be under trial, shall be crowned and if it be under tribulation, it shall be delivered: and if it be under correction, it shall be allowed to come to thy mercy.

For thou art not delighted in our being lost, because after a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness.

Be thy name, O God of Israel, blessed for ever,

At that time the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God:

And the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord.

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

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

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

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

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

And 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.

Give 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.

According to thy ability be merciful.

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

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

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

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

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

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

If 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.

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

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

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

Seek counsel always of a wise man.

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

I 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:

Now 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.

Fear 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.