Tobit · Catholic Public Domain Version
Tobit 4 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 Therefore, when Tobit considered that his prayer was heard, so that he might be able to die, he called his son Tobias to him.
1 In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gabael in Rages of Media,
2 And he said to him: “My son, hear the words of my mouth, and set them, like a foundation, in your heart.
2 and he said to himself, I have asked for death; why do I not call my son Tobias, that I may explain to him about the money before I die?
3 When God will receive my soul, bury my body. And you shall honor your mother, all the days of her life.
3 And he called him, and said, “My child, if I die, bury me. Don’t despise your mother. Honor her all the days of your life, and do that which is pleasing to her, and don’t grieve her.
4 For you are obliged to be mindful of what great perils she suffered because of you in her womb.
4 Remember, my child, that she has seen many dangers for you, when you were in her womb. When she is dead, bury her by me in one grave.
5 But when she too will have completed the time of her life, bury her near me.
5 My child, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and don’t let your will be set to sin and to transgress his commandments: do righteousness all the days of your life, and don’t follow the ways of unrighteousness.
6 Yet, for all the days of your life, have God in your mind. And be careful that you never consent to sin, nor overlook the precepts of the Lord our God.
6 For if you do what is true, your deeds will prosperously succeed for you, and for all those who do righteousness.
7 Give alms from your substance, and do not turn away your face from any pauper. For so it shall be that neither will the face of the Lord be turned away from you.
7 Give alms from your possessions. When you give alms, don’t let your eye be envious. Don’t turn away your face from any poor man, and the face of God won’t be turned away from you.
8 In whatever way that you are able, so shall you be merciful.
8 As your possessions are, give alms of it according to your abundance. If you have little, don’t be afraid to give alms according to that little;
9 If you have much, distribute abundantly. If you have little, nevertheless strive to bestow a little freely.
9 for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity;
10 For you store up for yourself a good reward for the day of necessity.
10 because alms-giving delivers from death, and doesn’t allow you to come into darkness.
11 For almsgiving liberates from every sin and from death, and it will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
11 Alms is a good gift in the sight of the Most High for all that give it.
12 Almsgiving will be a great act of faith before the most high God, for all those who practice it.
12 Beware, my child, of all fornication, and take first a wife of the seed of your fathers. Don’t take a strange wife, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the descendants of the prophets. Remember, my child, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old time, all took wives of their kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed will inherit the land.
13 Take care to keep yourself, my son, from all fornication, and, except for your wife, never permit yourself to know such an offense.
13 And now, my child, love your kindred, and don’t scorn your kindred and the sons and the daughters of your people in your heart, to take a wife of them; for in scornfulness is destruction and much trouble, and in idleness is decay and great lack; for idleness is the mother of famine.
14 Never permit arrogance to rule in your mind or in your words. For in it, all perdition had its beginning.
14 Don’t let the wages of any man who works for you wait with you, but give it to him out of hand. If you serve God, you will be rewarded. Take heed to yourself, my child, in all your works, and be discreet in all your behavior.
15 And whoever has done any kind of work for you, immediately pay him his wages, and do not let the wages of your hired hand remain with you at all.
15 And what you yourself hate, do to no man. Don’t drink wine to drunkenness, and don’t let drunkenness go with you on your way.
16 Whatever you would hate to have done to you by another, see that you never do so to another.
16 Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your garments to those who are naked. Give alms from all your abundance. Don’t let your eye be envious when you give alms.
17 Eat your bread with the hungry and the needy, and cover the naked with your own garments.
17 Pour out your bread on the burial of the just, and give nothing to sinners.
18 Set out your bread and your wine at the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink from it with sinners.
18 Ask counsel of every man who is wise, and don’t despise any counsel that is profitable.
19 Always seek the counsel of a wise man.
19 Bless the Lord your God at all times, and ask of him that your ways may be made straight, and that all your paths and counsels may prosper; for every nation has no counsel; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and he humbles whom he will, as he will. And now, my child, remember my commandments, and let them not be blotted out of your mind.
20 Bless God at all times. And petition him that he direct your ways and that all your counsels may remain in him.
20 And now I explain to you about the ten talents of silver, which I left in trust with Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages of Media.
21 And now, I reveal to you, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while you were still a young child, to Gabael, in Rages, a city of the Medes, and I have his written agreement with me.
21 And fear not, my child, because we are made poor. You have much wealth, if you fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.”
22 And so, inquire how you may travel to him and receive from him the aforementioned weight of silver, and return to him the written agreement.
22 Not in this translation
23 Do not be afraid, my son. We do indeed lead a poor life, but we will have many good things: if we fear God, and withdraw from all sin, and do what is good.”
23 Not in this translation
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." Be all of you subject one to another "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you.
He told him to give to the poor, charged him to give alms to the needy, and taught him, saying, "My son, alms suffereth not to come into darkness." The blind gave counsel for receiving and gaining light.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Ye know this, that Tobit warned his son, and said to him, "Son, give alms of thy substance; because that alms suffer not to come into darkness." Even he who was in darkness spoke thus....Dost thou wish to know that light?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)