Tobit's Family and Exile

1 The book of the words of Tobit, the son of Tobiel, the son of Hananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, the son of Raphael, the son of Raguel, of the seed of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali; 2 who in the days of Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians was carried away captive out of Thisbe, which is on the right hand of Kedesh Naphtali in upper Galilee above Asser, behind the road leading west, on the left of Phogor.

Tobit's Life and Acts of Mercy

3 I Tobit walked in the ways of truth and in acts of righteousness all the days of my life, and I did many almsdeeds to my kindred and my nation, who went with me in the captive band into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh. 4 And when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, and when I was young, all the tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of David my father and from Jerusalem, the city which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel for all the tribes of Israel to sacrifice there, and in which the temple of the habitation of God was hallowed and built for all ages. 5 All my kindred and the house of Nephtalim my father, they sacrificed to the calf, which Jeroboam the king of Israel made, in Dan and on all the mountains of Galilee. 6 And I alone used often to journey to Jerusalem at the feasts, as it has been ordained in all Israel by an everlasting decree. I used to go to Jerusalem with the firstfruits and the firstlings and the tenths of the cattle and the first shearings of the sheep, 7 and give them to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the altar, and the tenth of the grain and the wine and oil and pomegranates and the rest of the fruits to the sons of Levi, who ministered at Jerusalem.⁠a And the second tenth I tithed in money for the six years, and went and spent it each year at Jerusalem: 8 and gave it to the orphans and the widows and the proselytes who attached themselves to the children of Israel;⁠b I brought it and gave it to them in the third year, and we did eat it according to the decree which was decreed concerning it in the book of Moses and according to the commands which Deborah, the mother of Hananiel our father commanded, because my father left me an orphan when he died. 9 And when I became a man, I took a wife of the seed of our own family, and of her I fathered a son and called his name Tobias. 10 After the carrying away captive to Assyria when I was carried away captive, I came to Nineveh, and all my kindred and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles. 11 But I kept myself from eating of the bread of the Gentiles;⁠c 12 and, when I remembered my God with all my soul,⁠d the 13 Most High gave me grace and favour in the sight of Shalmaneser and used to buy for him all things for his use, 14 and go into Media and buy for him from there, until he died. And I left purses in trust with Gabael the brother of Gabri in the land of Media, ten talents of silver. 15 And when Shalmaneser was dead and Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead, the roads of Media were unsafe, and I could no more go into Media. 16 In the days of Shalmaneser I did many almsdeeds to my kindred who were of my kindred: 17 I used to give my bread to the hungry, and garments to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, and cast forth behind the wall of Nineveh, I buried him. 18 And whomever Sennacherib killed, when he had come fleeing from Judaea in the days of the judgement which the King of heaven carried out upon him for the blasphemies with which he had blasphemed, I buried. For in his wrath he killed many of the children of Israel, and I stole away their bodies and buried them. And Sennacherib sought them and did not find them. 19 And a certain one of those of Nineveh went and informed the king concerning me, that it was I who buried them, and that I was hid. And when I perceived that the king knew concerning me and that I was sought for to be put to death, I was afraid and ran away. 20 And all that I possessed was seized, and there was nothing left to me which was not taken to the royal treasury save my wife Anna and my son Tobias. 21 And not forty days passed before two of his sons killed him. And they fled into the mountains of Ararat, and Esarhaddon his son reigned after him.⁠e And he appointed over all the accounts of his kingdom Ahikar, my brother Anael’s son, and he had authority over all his affairs. 22 Then Ahikar made request for me, and I came down to Nineveh. For Ahikar was chief cupbearer, and keeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of the accounts in the days of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and Esarhaddon appointed him a second time. And he was my brother’s son and of my kindred.