Tobit 1:4-14

4 When 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.

5 All my kindred and our ancestral house of Naphtali sacrificed to the calf ^[a] that King Jeroboam of Israel had erected in Dan and on all the mountains of Galilee.

6 But 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.

7 I 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 for six years I would save up a second tenth in money and go and distribute it in Jerusalem.

8 A third tenth ^[b] I would give to the orphans and widows and to the converts who had attached themselves to Israel. I would bring it and give it to them in the third year, 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, ^[c] for my father had died and left me an orphan.

9 When I became a man I married a woman, ^[d] a member of our own family, and by her I became the father of a son whom I named Tobias.

10 After 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 Gentiles,

11 but I kept myself from eating the food of the Gentiles.

12 Because I was mindful of God with all my heart,

13 the Most High gave me favor and good standing with Shalmaneser, ^[e] and I used to buy everything he needed.

14 Until his death I used to go into Media, and buy for him there. While in the country of Media I left bags of silver worth ten talents in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabri.

Footnotes

• [a]. Other ancient authorities read [heifer]
• [b]. [A third tenth] added from other ancient authorities
• [c]. Lat: Gk [Hananiel]
• [d]. Other ancient authorities add [Anna]
• [e]. Gk [Enemessaros]