Tobit, 4

1. The same day Tobit remembered the silver that he had left with Gabael at Rhages in Media

1. On that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gabael at Rages in Media, and he said to himself;

2. and thought, 'I have come to the point of praying for death; I should do well to call my son Tobias and tell him about the money before I die.'

2. "I have asked for death. Why do I not call my son Tobias so that I may explain to him about the money before I die?"

3. He summoned his son Tobias and told him, 'When I die, give me an honourable burial. Honour your mother, and never abandon her all the days of your life. Do all that she wants, and give her no reason for sorrow.

3. So he called him and said, "My son, when I die, bury me, and do not neglect your mother. Honor her all the days of your life; do what is pleasing to her, and do not grieve her.

4. Remember, my child, all the risks she ran for your sake when you were in her womb. And when she dies, bury her at my side in the same grave.

4. Remember, my son, that she faced many dangers for you while you were yet unborn. When she dies bury her beside me in the same grave.

5. 'My child, be faithful to the Lord all your days. Never entertain the will to sin or to transgress his laws. Do good works all the days of your life, never follow ways that are not upright;

5. "Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing.

6. for if you act in truthfulness, you will be successful in all your actions, as everyone is who practises what is upright.

6. For if you do what is true, your ways will prosper through your deeds.

7. 'Set aside part of your goods for almsgiving. Never turn your face from the poor and God will never turn his from you.

7. Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and the face of God will not be turned away from you.

8. Measure your alms by what you have; if you have much, give more; if you have little, do not be afraid to give less in alms.

8. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have.

9. So doing, you will lay up for yourself a great treasure for the day of necessity.

9. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity.

10. For almsgiving delivers from death and saves people from passing down to darkness.

10. For charity delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness;

11. Almsgiving is a most effective offering for all those who do it in the presence of the Most High.

11. and for all who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.

12. 'My child, avoid all loose conduct. Choose a wife of your father's stock. Do not take a foreign wife outside your father's tribe, because we are the children of the prophets. Remember Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our ancestors from the beginning. All of them took wives from their own kindred, and they were blessed in their children, and their race will inherit the earth.

12. "Beware, my son, of all immorality. First of all take a wife from among the descendants of your fathers and do not marry a foreign woman, who is not of your father's tribe; for we are the sons of the prophets. Remember, my son, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old, all took wives from among their brethren. They were blessed in their children, and their posterity will inherit the land.

13. You, too, my child, must love your own brothers; never presume to despise your brothers, the sons and daughters of your people; choose your wife from among them. For pride brings ruin and much worry; idleness causes need and poverty, for the mother of famine is idleness.

13. So now, my son, love your brethren, and in your heart do not disdain your brethren and the sons and daughters of your people by refusing to take a wife for yourself from among them. For in pride there is ruin and great confusion; and in shiftlessness there is loss and great want, because shiftlessness is the mother of famine.

14. 'Do not keep back until next day the wages of those who work for you; pay them at once. If you serve God you will be rewarded. Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour.

14. Do not hold over till the next day the wages of any man who works for you, but pay him at once; and if you serve God you will receive payment. "Watch yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all your conduct.

15. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness; do not let excess be your travelling companion.

15. And what you hate, do not do to any one. Do not drink wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way.

16. 'Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who lack clothing. Of whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving; and when you give alms, do it ungrudgingly.

16. Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your clothing to the naked. Give all your surplus to charity, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you made it.

17. Be generous with bread and wine on the graves of upright people, but not for the sinner.

17. Place your bread on the grave of the righteous, but give none to sinners.

18. 'Ask advice of every wise person; never scorn any profitable advice.

18. Seek advice from every wise man, and do not despise any useful counsel.

19. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end. For wisdom is not the property of every nation; their desire for what is good is conferred by the Lord. At his will he lifts up or he casts down to the depths of the dwelling of the dead. So now, my child, remember these precepts and never let hem fade from your heart.

19. Bless the Lord God on every occasion; ask him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For none of the nations has understanding; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and according to his will he humbles whomever he wishes. "So, my son, remember my commands, and do not let them be blotted out of your mind.

20. 'Now, my child, I must tell you I have left ten talents of silver with Gabael son of Gabrias, at Rhages in Media.

20. And now let me explain to you about the ten talents of silver which I left in trust with Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages in Media.

21. Do not be afraid, my child, if we have grown poor. You have great wealth if you fear God, if you shun every kind of sin and if you do what is pleasing to the Lord your God.'

21. Do not be afraid, my son, because we have become poor. You have great wealth if you fear God and refrain from every sin and do what is pleasing in his sight."