Tobie, 1

1. Tobie, de la tribu et d'une ville de Nephthali, qui est dans la Galilée supérieure, au-dessus de Naasson, derrière le chemin qui va au couchant, ayant à gauche la ville de Séphet,

1. This book tells the story of Tobit, son of Tobiel, son of Hananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael of the family of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali,

2. fut emmené captif au temps de Salmanasar, roi des Assyriens; et, dans sa captivité même, il n'abandonna pas le chemin de la vérité.

2. who during the reign of Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, was taken captive from Thisbe, which is south of Kedesh Naphtali in upper Galilee, above and to the west of Asser, north of Phogor.

3. Tous les jours, il distribuait à ses frères, ceux de sa nation, captifs comme lui, tout ce dont il pouvait disposer.

3. I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life on the paths of truth and righteousness. I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people who had been deported with me to Nineveh, in Assyria.

4. Et alors même qu'il était le plus jeune de ceux de la tribu de Nephthali, il n'y avait rien de juvénile en sa conduite.

4. When I lived as a young man in my own country, Israel, the entire tribe of my forefather Naphtali had broken away from the house of David and from Jerusalem. This city had been singled out of all Israel's tribes, so that they all might offer sacrifice in the place where the temple, God's dwelling, had been built and consecrated for all generations to come.

5. Aussi, tandis que tout le monde allait adorer les veaux d'or que Jéroboam, roi d'Israël avait faits, lui seul fuyait la compagnie de tous,

5. All my kinsmen, like the rest of the tribe of my forefather Naphtali, used to offer sacrifice on all the mountains of Galilee as well as to the young bull which Jeroboam, king of Israel, had made in Dan.

6. et il se rendait à Jérusalem, au temple du Seigneur où il adorait le Seigneur, Dieu d'Israël, offrant fidèlement les prémices et les dîmes de ses biens.

6. I, for my part, would often make the pilgrimage alone to Jerusalem for the festivals, as is prescribed for all Israel by perpetual decree. Bringing with me the first fruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock, together with a tenth of my income and the first shearings of the sheep, I would hasten to Jerusalem

7. Tous les trois ans, il distribuait aux prosélytes et aux étrangers toute sa dîme.

7. and present them to the priests, Aaron's sons, at the altar. To the Levites who were doing service in Jeusalem I would give the tithe of grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other fruits. And except for sabbatical years, I used to give a second tithe in money, which each year I would go and disburse in Jerusalem.

8. Il observait ces choses et d'autres semblables, selon la loi de Dieu, dès son jeune âge.

8. The third tithe I gave to orphans and widows, and to converts who were living with the Israelites. Every third year I would bring them this offering, and we ate it in keeping with the decree of the Mosaic law and the commands of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel; for when my father died, he left me an orphan.

9. Parvenu à l'âge d'homme, il épousa une femme de sa tribu, nommée Anne; et il en eut un fils auquel il donna son nom,

9. When I reached manhood, I married Anna, a woman of our own lineage. By her I had a son whom I named Tobiah.

10. et qu'il instruisit dès l'enfance à craindre Dieu et à s'abstenir de tout péché.

10. Now, after I had been deported to Nineveh, all my brothers and relatives ate the food of heathens,

11. Lors donc qu'il fut arrivé comme captif, avec sa femme et son fils, en la ville de Ninive, où était toute sa tribu,

11. but I refrained from eating that kind of food.

12. bien que tous les autres mangeassent des mets des païens, il garda son âme pure, et jamais il ne se souilla par leurs viandes.

12. Because of this wholehearted service of God,

13. Et parce qu'il se souvenait fidèlement du Seigneur, Dieu lui concilia la faveur du roi Salmanasar, qui lui donna pouvoir d'aller partout où il voudrait, avec liberté de faire ce qu'il lui plairait.

13. the Most High granted me favor and status with Shalmaneser, so that I became purchasing agent for all his needs.

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14. Every now and then until his death I would go to Media to buy goods for him. I also deposited several pouches containing a great sum of money with my kinsman Gabael, son of Gabri, who lived at Rages, in Media.

15. Il allait donc visiter tous ceux qui étaient captifs et leur donnait des conseils salutaires.

15. But when Shalmaneser died and his son Sennacherib succeeded him as king, the roads to Media became unsafe, so I could no longer go there.

16. Etant une fois allé à Ragès, ville des Mèdes, avec dix talents, provenant des largesses dont le roi l'avait enrichi,

16. During Shalmaneser's reign I performed many charitable works for my kinsmen and my people.

17. il vit, parmi le grand nombre de ses compatriotes, un homme de sa tribu, nommé Gabélus, qui était dans le besoin, et il lui donna contre un reçu cette somme d'argent.

17. I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked. If I saw one of my people who had died and been thrown outside the walls of Nineveh, I would bury him.

18. Longtemps après, le roi Salmanasar étant mort, Sennachérib, son fils, régna à sa place. Comme ce prince avait une grande haine contre les enfants d'Israël,

18. I also buried anyone whom Sennacherib slew when he returned as a fugitive from Judea during the days of judgment decreed against him by the heavenly King because of the blasphemies he had uttered. In his rage he killed many Israelites, but I used to take their bodies by stealth and bury them; so when Sennacherib looked for them, he could not find them.

19. Tobie allait visiter chaque jour tous ceux de sa parenté; il les consolait et distribuait de ses biens à chacun, selon son pouvoir;

19. But a certain citizen of Nineveh informed the king that it was I who buried the dead. When I found out that the king knew all about me and wanted to put me to death, I went into hiding; then in my fear I took to flight.

20. il donnait à manger à ceux qui avaient faim, procurait des vêtements à ceux qui étaient nus et mettait un grand zèle à donner la sépulture à ceux qui étaient morts ou qui avaient été tués.

20. Afterward, all my property was confiscated; I was left with nothing. All that I had was taken to the king's palace, except for my wife Anna and my son Tobiah.

21. Lorsque le roi Sennachérib, revenu de Judée en fugitif, après la défaite dont Dieu l'avait frappé pour ses blasphèmes, faisait mettre à mort, dans sa fureur, un grand nombre des enfants d'Israël, Tobie enterrait les cadavres.

21. But less than forty days later the king was assassinated by two of his sons, who then escaped into the mountains of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon, who succeeded him as king, placed Ahiqar, my brother Anael's son, in charge of all the accounts of his kingdom, so that he took control over the entire administration.

22. La nouvelle en ayant été apportée au roi, il ordonna de le mettre à mort et lui ôta tous ses biens.

22. Then Ahiqar interceded on my behalf, and I was able to return to Nineveh. For under Sennacherib, king of Assyria, Ahiqar had been chief cupbearer, keeper of the seal, administrator, and treasurer; and Esarhaddon reappointed him. He was a close relative-in fact, my nephew.

23. Mais Tobie prit la fuite avec son fils et sa femme, et, dépouillé de tout, il réussit à se cacher, parce qu'il avait beaucoup d'amis.

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24. Quarante-cinq jours après, le roi fut tué par ses propres fils.

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25. Alors Tobie revint dans sa maison, et tous ses biens lui furent rendus.

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