Liber Thobis, 4
1. igitur cum Tobias putaret orationem suam exaudiri ut mori potuisset vocavit ad se Tobiam filium suum
1. Therefore when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son,
2. dixitque ei audi fili mi verba oris mei et ea in corde tuo quasi fundamentum construe
2. And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.
3. cum acceperit Deus animam meam corpus meum sepeli et honorem habebis matri tuæ omnibus diebus vitæ ejus
3. When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life:
4. memor enim esse debes quæ et quanta pericula passa sit propter te in utero suo
4. For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.
5. cum autem et ipsa conpleverit tempus vitæ suæ sepelies eam circa me
5. And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.
6. omnibus autem diebus vitæ tuæ Deum in mente habe et cave ne aliquando peccato consentias et prætermittas præcepta Dei nostri
6. 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.
7. ex substantia tua fac elemosynam et noli avertere faciem tuam ab ullo paupere ita enim fiet ut nec a te avertatur facies Domini
7. 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.
8. quomodo potueris ita esto misericors
8. According to thy ability be merciful.
9. si multum tibi fuerit abundanter tribue si exiguum fuerit etiam exiguum libenter inpertire stude
9. If thou have much give abundantly: if thou have a little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.
10. præmium enim tibi bonum thesaurizas in die necessitatis
10. For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.
11. quoniam elemosyna ab omni peccato et a morte liberat et non patietur animam ire in tenebras
11. For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
12. fiducia magna erit coram summo Deo elemosyna omnibus qui faciunt eam
12. Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.
13. adtende tibi fili mi ab omni fornicatione et præter uxorem tuam numquam patiaris crimen scire
13. Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.
14. superbiam numquam in tuo sensu aut in tuo verbo dominari permittas in ipsa enim initium sumpsit omnis perditio
14. Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning.
15. quicumque aliquid tibi operatus fuerit statim mercedem ei restitue et merces mercennarii apud te omnino non maneat
15. 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.
16. quod ab alio odis fieri tibi vide ne alteri tu aliquando facias
16. See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.
17. panem tuum cum esurientibus et egenis comede et de vestimentis tuis nudos tege
17. Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked.
18. panem tuum et vinum super sepulturam justi constitue et noli ex eo manducare et bibere cum peccatoribus
18. Lay out thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.
19. consilium semper a sapiente perquire
19. Seek counsel always of a wise man.
20. omni tempore benedic Deum et pete ab eo ut vias tuas dirigat et omnia consilia tua in ipso permaneant
20. Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.
21. indico etiam tibi fili mi dedisse me decem talenta argenti dum infantulus esses Gabelo in Rages civitate Medorum et chirografum ejus apud me habeo
21. 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:
22. et ideo perquire quomodo ad eum pervenias et recipias ab eo supra memoratum pondus argenti et restituas ei chirografum suum
22. 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.
23. noli timere fili mi pauperem quidem vitam gerimus sed multa bona habemus si timuerimus Deum et recesserimus ab omni peccato et fecerimus bene
23. 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.
