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The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of Naphtali,
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who in the time of Shalmaneser, king of the Assyrians, was led captive out of Thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city which is called properly Naphtali in Galilee above Asher.
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I, Tobit, have walked all the days of my life in the way of truth and justice; and I did many almsdeeds for my brethren and my nation who came with me to Nineveh into the land of the Assyrians.
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And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel, being but young, all the tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of Jerusalem, 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.
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Now all the tribes which together revolted and the house of my father Naphtali sacrificed unto the heifer Baal.
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But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the feasts, as it was ordained unto all the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having the firstfruits and tenths of increase, with that which was first shorn; and I gave them at the altar to the priests, the children of Aaron.
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The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem; another tenth part I sold away, and went and spent it every year at Jerusalem;
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and the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Deborah my father's mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father.
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Furthermore, when I had come to the age of a man, I married Anna of mine own kindred, and by her I begot Tobias.