Tobit, 4

1. In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media,

1. The same day Tobit remembered the money which he had deposited with Gabael at Rages in Media, and he said to himself:

2. And said with himself, I have wished for death; wherefore do I not call for my son Tobias that I may signify to him of the money before I die?

2. "I have asked for death, had I better not call Tobias and tell him about this money before I die?"

3. And when he had called him, he said, My son, when I am dead, bury me; and despise not thy mother, but honour her all the days of thy life, and do that which shall please her, and grieve her not.

3. He called Tobias and said to him: "My son, when I die, see to my burial. Look after your mother. Honor her all the days of your life. Do what pleases her and do not cause her any pain.

4. Remember, my son, that she saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her womb: and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave.

4. Remember, my son, that she suffered much pain on your account when you were in her womb. When she dies, bury her next to me, in the same tomb.

5. My son, be mindful of the Lord our God all thy days, and let not thy will be set to sin, or to transgress his commandments: do uprightly all thy life long, and follow not the ways of unrighteousness.

5. Always remember the Lord our God. Do not consent to sin or go against his commandments. Act justly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the paths of wrongdoing,

6. For if thou deal truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that live justly.

6. for, if you act uprightly, you will be successful in all you do.

7. Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee.

7. Give alms from what you have to those who act justly and do good. Do not be grudging when you give alms. Do not turn away your face from anyone who is poor so that God may not turn away his face from you.

8. If thou hast abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little:

8. Give alms in proportion to the amount you have; if you have little, do not be afraid to give alms according to the little you have.

9. For thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity.

9. In this way you are storing up treasure against the day of tribulation, because

10. Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.

10. almsgiving frees us from death and keeps us from wandering in the darkness.

11. For alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the most High.

11. For, in fact, almsgiving is, for the man who practices it, a precious treasure in the eyes of God.

12. Beware of all whoredom, my son, and chiefly take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy father's tribe: for we are the children of the prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: remember, my son, that our fathers from the beginning, even that they all married wives of their own kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed shall inherit the land.

12. Keep yourself, my son, from all unlawful sexual relations and, above all, take a wife from the tribe of your fathers. Do not take a foreign woman, one who does not belong to the tribe of our fathers, because we are children of the prophets. Remember, my son, that in former times our fathers, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob took wives from among their relatives so that they might be blessed in their children and that their race might possess the land.

13. Now therefore, my son, love thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sons and daughters of thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for in pride is destruction and much trouble, and in lewdness is decay and great want: for lewdness is the mother of famine.

13. Love your relatives and do not despise the sons and daughters of your people to the point where you would take a foreign woman as your wife. Pride brings about ruin and your complete downfall; in laziness are found extreme humiliation and indigence; laziness is the mother of want, hunger, famine.

14. Let not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tarry with thee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou serve God, he will also repay thee: be circumspect my son, in all things thou doest, and be wise in all thy conversation.

14. Do not keep back overnight the wages of any man who has worked for you but give them as soon as possible. If you serve God, you will be rewarded. Take care in all your actions and behave correctly in all you do.

15. Do that to no man which thou hatest: drink not wine to make thee drunken: neither let drunkenness go with thee in thy journey.

15. Do not do to another what you would hate done to yourself. Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness; do not let drunkenness be a life-long companion.

16. Give of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked; and according to thine abundance give alms: and let not thine eye be envious, when thou givest alms.

16. Give your bread to those who are hungry and your clothes to those who are naked; give alms of everything you have over.

17. Pour out thy bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to the wicked.

17. Scatter your bread on the tombs of the just; do not give it to those who are sinners.

18. Ask counsel of all that are wise, and despise not any counsel that is profitable.

18. Take counsel of those who are wise and do not despise any useful advice.

19. Bless the Lord thy God alway, and desire of him that thy ways may be directed, and that all thy paths and counsels may prosper: for every nation hath not counsel; but the Lord himself giveth all good things, and he humbleth whom he will, as he will; now therefore, my son, remember my commandments, neither let them be put out of thy mind.

19. In all circumstances bless the Lord and ask him to make your ways upright; and to make your plans and projects succeed because not every nation has true wisdom. It is the Lord who gives everything and he humbles those whom he wishes. My son, remember my advice and do not let it be erased from your heart.

20. And now I signify this to they that I committed ten talents to Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages in Media.

20. I also wish to mention the ten talents of silver which I placed on deposit with Gabael, son of Gabria, at Rages in Media.

21. And fear not, my son, that we are made poor: for thou hast much wealth, if thou fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.

21. Do not fear, my son, because we have become poor. If you fear God, if you abstain from all sin and if you do what is pleasing in God's sight - in this way you will have great wealth."