Tobit 1-7 (Translated)

Chapter 1

Verse	1611 King James Version	Proposed Conservative Translation	Analysis
1	The Booke of the wordes of Tobit, sonne of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the sonne of Aduel, the sonne of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the Tribe of Nephthali,
2	Who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians, was led captiue out of This be which is at the right hand of that citie, which is called properly Nephthali in Galile aboue Aser.
3	I Tobit haue walked all the dayes of my life in the way of trueth, and iustice, and I did many almes deeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineue into the land of the Assyrians.
4	And when I was in mine owne countrey, in the land of Israel, being but yong, all the tribe of Nephthali my father, fell from the house of Ierusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there where the Temple of the habitation of the most High was consecrated, and built for all ages.
5	Now all the tribes which together reuolted, and the house of my father Nephthali sacrificed vnto the heifer Baal.
6	But I alone went often to Ierusalem at the Feasts, as it was ordeined vnto al the people of Israel by an euerlasting decree, hauing the first fruits, and tenths of encrease, with that which was first shorne, and them gaue I at the Altar to the Priestes the children of Aaron.
7	The first tenth part of al increase, I gaue to the sonnes of Aaron, who ministred at Ierusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it euery yeere at Ierusalem.
8	And the third, I gaue vnto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my fathers mother had commanded mee, because I was left an orphane by my father.
9	Furthermore when I was come to the age of a man, I married Anna of mine owne kinred, and of her I begate Tobias.
10	And when we were caried away captiues to Nineue, all my brethren, and those that were of my kinred, did eate of the bread of the Gentiles.
11	But I kept my selfe from eating
12	Because I remembred God with all my heart.
13	And the most High gaue me grace, and fauour before Enemessar, so that I was his purueyour.
14	And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias at Rages a citie of Media, ten talents of siluer.
15	Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his sonne reigned in his stead, whose estate was troubled, that I could not goe into Media.
16	And in the time of Enemessar, I gaue many almes to my brethren, and gaue my bread to the hungry,
17	And my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the walles of Nineue, I buried him.
18	And if the king Sennacherib had slaine any, when hee was come, and fledde from Iudea, I buried them priuily, (for in his wrath hee killed many) but the bodies were not found, when they were sought for of the king.
19	And when one of the Nineuites went, and complained of me to the king that I buried them, and hid my selfe: vnderstanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew my selfe for feare.
20	Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, besides my wife Anna, and my sonne Tobias.
21	And there passed not fiue and fiftie dayes before two of his sonnes killed him, and they fled into the mountaines of Ararath, and Sarchedonus his sonne reigned in his stead, who appointed ouer his fathers accounts, and ouer all his affaires, Achiacharus my brother Anaels sonne.
22	And Achiacharus entreating for me, I returned to Nineue: now Achiacharus was Cup-bearer, and keeper of the Signet, and Steward, and ouerseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next vnto him: and hee was my brothers sonne.

Chapter 2

Verse	1611 King James Version	Proposed Conservative Translation	Analysis
1	Now when I was come home againe, and my wife Anna was restored vnto me, with my sonne Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy Feast of the seuen weekes, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sate down to eate.
2	And when I saw abundance of meate, I sayd to my sonne, Goe and bring what poore man soeuer thou shalt finde out of our brethren, who is mindfull of the Lord, and loe, I tarie for thee.
3	But he came againe and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the market place.
4	Then before I had tasted of any meate, I start vp and tooke him vp into a roume, vntill the going downe of the Sunne.
5	Then I returned and washed my selfe, and ate my meate in heauinesse,
6	Remembring that prophesie of Amos, as hee said; Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.
7	Therefore I wept: and after the going downe of the Sunne, I went and made a graue, and buried him.
8	But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraide to be put to death for this matter, who fledde away, and yet loe, he burieth the dead againe.
9	The same night also I returned from the buriall, and slept by the wall of my court yard, being polluted, and my face was vncouered:
10	And I knewe not that there were Sparrowes in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the Sparrowes muted warme doung into mine eyes, and a whitenesse came in mine eyes, and I went to the Physicians, but they helped me not: moreouer Achiacharus did nourish mee, vntill I went into Elymais.
11	And my wife Anna did take womens workes to doe.
12	And when shee had sent them home to the owners, they payd her wages, and gaue her also besides a kid.
13	And when it was in mine house, and beganne to crie, I said vnto her, From whence is this kidde? is it not stollen? render it to the owners, for it is not lawfull to eate any thing that is stollen.
14	But shee replyed vpon me, It was giuen for a gift more then the wages: Howbeit I did not beleeue her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. But she replyed vpon me, Where are thine almes, and thy righteous deedes? behold, thou and all thy workes are knowen.

Chapter 3

Verse	1611 King James Version	Proposed Conservative Translation	Analysis
1	Then I being grieued, did weepe, and in my sorrowe prayed, saying,
2	O Lord, thou art iust and all thy workes, and all thy wayes are mercie and trueth, and thou iudgest truely & iustly for euer.
3	Remember me, and looke on me, punish me not for my sinnes and ignorances, and the sinnes of my fathers, who haue sinned before thee.
4	For they obeyed not thy commandements, wherefore thou hast deliuered vs for a spoile, and vnto captiuitie, and vnto death, and for a prouerbe of reproch to all the nations among whom we are dispersed.
5	And now thy iudgments are many and true: Deale with me according to my sinnes, and my fathers: because we haue not kept thy commandements, neither haue walked in trueth before thee.
6	Now therefore deale with me as seemeth best vnto thee, and command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be dissolued, and become earth: for it is profitable for me to die, rather then to liue, because I haue heard false reproches, and haue much sorow: command therfore that I may now be deliuered out of this distresse, and goe into the euerlasting place: turne not thy face away from me.
7	It came to passe the same day, that in Ecbatane a citie of Media, Sara the daughter of Raguel, was also reproched by her fathers maides,
8	Because that she had bin maried to seuen husbands, whom Almodeus the euill spirit had killed, before they had lien with her. Doest thou not knowe, said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seuen husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them.
9	Wherefore doest thou beate vs for them? If they be dead, goe thy wayes after them, let vs neuer see of thee either sonne or daughter.
10	When she heard these things, she was very sorowful, so that she thought to haue strangled her selfe, and she said, I am the onely daughter of my father, and if I doe this, it shall bee a reproch vnto him, and I shall bring his old age with sorow vnto the graue.
11	Then she prayed toward the window, & said, Blessed art thou, O Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious Name is blessed, and honourable foreuer, let al thy works praise thee for euer.
12	And now, O Lord, I set mine eyes and my face toward thee,
13	And say, take me out of the earth, that I may heare no more the reproch.
14	Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sinne with man,
15	And that I neuer polluted my name, nor the name of my father in the land of my captiuitie: I am the onely daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to bee his heire, neither any neere kinseman, nor any sonne of his aliue, to whome I may keepe my selfe for a wife: my seuen husbands are already dead, and why should I liue? but if it please not thee that I should die, command some regard to be had of me, and pitie taken of me, that I heare no more reproch.
16	So the prayers of them both were heard before the Maiesty of the great God.
17	And Raphael was sent to heale them both, that is, to scale away the whitenesse of Tobits eyes, and to giue Sara the daughter of Raguel, for a wife to Tobias the sonne of Tobit, and to bind Asmodeus the euill spirit, because she belongeth to Tobias by right of inheritance. The selfe same time came Tobit home, and entred into his house, and Sara, the daughter of Raguel came downe from her vpper chamber.

Chapter 4

Verse	1611 King James Version	Proposed Conservative Translation	Analysis
1	In that day Tobit remembred the money, which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media,
2	And said with himselfe, I haue wished for death, wherefore doe I not call for my sonne Tobias, that I may signifie to him of the money before I die.
3	And when he had called him, he said; My sonne, when I am dead, bury me, and despise not thy mother, but honour her all the dayes of thy life, and doe that which shall please her, and greiue her not.
4	Remember, my sonne, that shee saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her wombe, and when shee is dead, bury her by me in one graue.
5	My sonne, be mindfull of the Lord our God all thy dayes, and let not thy will be set to sinne, or to transgresse his Commandements: doe vprightly all thy life long, and follow not the wayes of vnrighteousnesse.
6	For if thou deale truely, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that liue iustly.
7	Giue almes of thy substance, and when thou giuest almes, let not thine eye be enuious, neither turne thy face from any poore, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee.
8	If thou hast abundance, giue almes accordingly: if thou haue but a litle, be not afraid to giue according to that litle.
9	For thou layest vp a good treasure for thy selfe against the day of necessitie.
10	Because that almes doth deliuer from death, and suffereth not to come into darknesse.
11	For almes is a good gift vnto all that giue it, in the sight of the most High.
12	Beware of all whoredome, my sonne, and chiefely take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy fathers tribe: for we are the children of the Prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaak, and Iacob: remember, my sonne, that our fathers from the beginning, euen that they all maried wiues of their owne kinred, and were blessed in their children, and their seede shall inherite the land.
13	Now therefore my sonne, loue thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sonnes and daughters of thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for in pride is destruction and much trouble, and in lewdnesse is decay, and great want: for lewdnesse is the mother of famine.
14	Let not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tary with thee, but giue him it out of hand: for if thou serue God he will also repay thee: be circumspect, my sonne, in all things thou doest, and be wise in all thy conuersation.
15	Doe that to no man which thou hatest: drinke not wine to make thee drunken; neither let drunkennesse goe with thee in thy iourney.
16	Giue of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked, and according to thine abundance giue almes, and let not thine eye be enuious, when thou giuest almes.
17	Powre out thy bread on the buriall of the iust, but giue nothing to the wicked.
18	Aske counsell of all that are wise, and despise not any counsell that is profitable.
19	Blesse the Lord thy God alway, and desire of him that thy wayes may be directed, and that all thy pathes, and counsels may prosper: for euery nation hath not counsell, but the Lord himselfe giueth all good things, and hee humbleth whom he will, as he will; now therefore my sonne, remember my commandements, neither let them be put out of thy minde.
20	And now I signifie this to thee, that I committed tenne talents to Gabael the sonne of Gabrias at Rages in Media.
21	And feare not my sonne, that we are made poore, for thou hast much wealth, if thou feare God, and depart from all sinne, and doe that which is pleasing in his sight.