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1The book of the words of Tobit son of Tobiel son of Hananiel son of Aduel son of Gabael son of Raphael son of Raguel of the descendants of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali,[#1.1 Other ancient authorities lack of Raphael son of Raguel of the descendants]
2who in the days of King Shalmaneser of the Assyrians was taken into captivity from Thisbe, which is to the south of Kedesh Naphtali in Upper Galilee, above Asher toward the west, and north of Phogor.[#2 Kings 15.29; 1 Chr 5.26; #1.2 OL: Gk Enemessaros]
3I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life. I performed many acts of charity for my kindred and my nation who had gone with me in exile to Nineveh in the land of the Assyrians.[#Lev 25.35; Acts 9.36]
4When I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of my ancestor Naphtali deserted the house of David and Jerusalem. This city had been chosen from among all the tribes of Israel, where all the tribes of Israel should offer sacrifice and where the temple, the dwelling of God, had been consecrated and established for all generations forever.[#1 Kings 12.19, 20]
5All my kindred and my ancestral house of Naphtali sacrificed upon all the mountains of Galilee to the calf that King Jeroboam of Israel had erected in Dan and on all the mountains of Galilee.[#1 Kings 12.28, 30; Hos 13.2]
6But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the festivals, as it is prescribed for all Israel by an everlasting decree. I would hurry off to Jerusalem with the first fruits of the crops and the firstlings of the flock, the tithes of the cattle, and the first shearings of the sheep.[#Ex 22.30; Num 18.12; Deut 12.6]
7I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar, likewise the tenth of the grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and the rest of the fruits to the sons of Levi who ministered at Jerusalem. Also every six years I would save up a second tenth in money and go and distribute it each year in Jerusalem,[#Num 18.21; Deut 14.25, 26]
8giving it to the orphans and widows and to the converts who had attached themselves to the Israelites. In the third year I would bring it and give it to them, and we would eat it according to the ordinance decreed concerning it in the law of Moses and according to the instructions of Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel, for my father had died and left me an orphan.[#Deut 14.28, 29; #1.8 OL: Gk Hananiel]
9When I became a man I married a woman, a member of our own family, and by her I became the father of a son whom I named Tobias.[#Num 36.7–9; Tob 2.1; #1.9 Other ancient authorities add Anna]
10After I was carried away captive to Assyria and came as a captive to Nineveh, everyone of my kindred and my people ate the food of the nations,[#v 2 ; Hos 9.3; Tob 6.12]
11but I kept myself from eating the food of the nations.[#Jdt 12.2]
12Because I was mindful of God with all my heart,
13the Most High gave me favor and good standing with Shalmaneser, and I used to buy everything he needed.[#1.13 OL: Gk Enemessaros]
14Until his death I used to go into Media to buy for him there, and I left in trust bags holding ten talents of silver with Gabael, the brother of Gabri, in the country of Media.[#Tob 4.1, 20; 5.5; 9.2]
15But when Shalmaneser died and his son Sennacherib reigned in his place, Median roads became lawless, and I could no longer travel to Media.[#v 2; 2 Kings 18.13; Jdt 1.5, 15; #1.15 OL: Gk Enemessaros]
16In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my kindred, those of my people.[#v 3 ; Lev 25.35; Tob 4.16; Acts 9.36; #1.16 OL: Gk Enemessaros]
17I would give my food to the hungry and my clothing to the naked, and if I saw the dead body of any of my nation thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury it.[#Isa 58.7; Tob 2.7, 8; Sir 38.16; 2 Esd 2.23]
18I also buried any whom King Sennacherib put to death when he came fleeing from Judea in those days of judgment that the King of heaven executed upon him because of his blasphemies. For in his anger he put to death many Israelites, but I would secretly remove the bodies and bury them. So when Sennacherib looked for them he could not find them.[#2 Kings 18.13; Tob 2.7, 8; Sir 48.18, 21; 2 Esd 2.23]
19Then one of the Ninevites went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them, so I hid myself. But when I realized that the king knew about me and that I was being searched for to be put to death, I was afraid and ran away.
20Then all my property was confiscated; nothing was left to me that was not taken into the royal treasury except my wife Anna and my son Tobias.[#Tob 2.1; 4.21]
21But not forty days passed before two of Sennacherib’s sons killed him, and when they fled to the mountains of Ararat, his son Esar-haddon reigned after him. He appointed Ahikar, the son of my brother Hanael, over all the accounts of his kingdom, and he had authority over the entire administration.[#2 Kings 19.37; 2 Chr 32.21; Isa 37.38; Tob 14.10; #1.21 Gk his; #1.21 Gk Sacherdonos; #1.21 Other authorities read Hananael]
22Ahikar interceded for me, and I returned to Nineveh. Now Ahikar was chief cupbearer, keeper of the signet, and in charge of administration and accounts under King Sennacherib of Assyria, so Esar-haddon appointed him as second-in-command. He was my nephew and so a close relative.[#Gen 41.40, 42; Esth 8.2; Tob 11.18; 14.10; #1.22 Gk Sacherdonos; #1.22 Q ms adds a member of my father’s household]