Tobit 4

1Therefore when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son,

2And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.

3When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life:

4For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.

5And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.

6And all the days of thy life have God in thy mind: and take heed thou never consent to sin, nor transgress the commandments of the Lord our God.

7Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee.

8According to thy ability be merciful.

9If thou have much give abundantly: if thou have a little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.

10For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.

11For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.

12Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.

13Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.

14Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning.

15If any man hath done any work for thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the wages of thy hired servant stay with thee at all.

16See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.

17Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked.

18Lay out thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.

19Seek counsel always of a wise man.

20Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.

21I tell thee also, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages a city of the Medes, and I have a note of his hand with me:

22Now therefore inquire how thou mayst go to him, and receive of him the foresaid sum of money, and restore to him the note of his hand.

23Fear not, my son: we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.

1Igitur cum Tobias putaret orationem suam exaudiri ut mori potuisset, vocavit ad se Tobiam filium suum,

2dixitque ei: Audi, fili mi, verba oris mei, et ea in corde tuo quasi fundamentum construe.

3Cum acceperit Deus animam meam, corpus meum sepeli: et honorem habebis matri tuæ omnibus diebus vitæ ejus:

4memor enim esse debes, quæ et quanta pericula passa sit propter te in utero suo.

5Cum autem et ipsa compleverit tempus vitæ suæ, sepelias eam circa me.

6Omnibus autem diebus vitæ tuæ in mente habeto Deum: et cave ne aliquando peccato consentias, et prætermittas præcepta Domini Dei nostri.

7Ex substantia tua fac eleemosynam, et noli avertere faciem tuam ab ullo paupere: ita enim fiet ut nec a te avertatur facies Domini.

8Quomodo potueris, ita esto misericors.

9Si multum tibi fuerit, abundanter tribue: si exiguum tibi fuerit, etiam exiguum libenter impertiri stude.

10Præmium enim bonum tibi thesaurizas in die necessitatis:

11quoniam eleemosyna ab omni peccato et a morte liberat, et non patietur animam ire in tenebras.

12Fiducia magna erit coram summo Deo, eleemosyna omnibus facientibus eam.

13Attende tibi, fili mi, ab omni fornicatione, et præter uxorem tuam numquam patiaris crimen scire.

14Superbiam numquam in tuo sensu aut in tuo verbo dominari permittas: in ipsa enim initium sumpsit omnis perditio.

15Quicumque tibi aliquid operatus fuerit, statim ei mercedem restitue, et merces mercenarii tui apud te omnino non remaneat.

16Quod ab alio oderis fieri tibi, vide ne tu aliquando alteri facias.

17Panem tuum cum esurientibus et egenis comede, et de vestimentis tuis nudos tege.

18Panem tuum et vinum tuum super sepulturam justi constitue, et noli ex eo manducare et bibere cum peccatoribus.

19Consilium semper a sapiente perquire.

20Omni tempore benedic Deum: et pete ab eo ut vias tuas dirigat, et omnia consilia tua in ipso permaneant.

21Indico etiam tibi, fili mi, dedisse me decem talenta argenti, dum adhuc infantulus esses, Gabelo, in Rages civitate Medorum, et chirographum ejus apud me habeo:

22et ideo perquire quomodo ad eum pervenias, et recipias ab eo supra memoratum pondus argenti, et restituas ei chirographum suum.

23Noli timere, fili mi: pauperem quidem vitam gerimus, sed multa bona habebimus si timuerimus Deum, et recesserimus ab omni peccato, et fecerimus bene.

1Therefore, when Tobit considered that his prayer was heard, so that he might be able to die, he called his son Tobias to him.

2And he said to him: “My son, hear the words of my mouth, and set them, like a foundation, in your heart.

3When God will receive my soul, bury my body. And you shall honor your mother, all the days of her life.

4For you are obliged to be mindful of what great perils she suffered because of you in her womb.

5But when she too will have completed the time of her life, bury her near me.

6Yet, 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.

7Give 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.

8In whatever way that you are able, so shall you be merciful.

9If you have much, distribute abundantly. If you have little, nevertheless strive to bestow a little freely.

10For you store up for yourself a good reward for the day of necessity.

11For almsgiving liberates from every sin and from death, and it will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.

12Almsgiving will be a great act of faith before the most high God, for all those who practice it.

13Take care to keep yourself, my son, from all fornication, and, except for your wife, never permit yourself to know such an offense.

14Never permit arrogance to rule in your mind or in your words. For in it, all perdition had its beginning.

15And 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.

16Whatever you would hate to have done to you by another, see that you never do so to another.

17Eat your bread with the hungry and the needy, and cover the naked with your own garments.

18Set out your bread and your wine at the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink from it with sinners.

19Always seek the counsel of a wise man.

20Bless God at all times. And petition him that he direct your ways and that all your counsels may remain in him.

21And 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.

22And so, inquire how you may travel to him and receive from him the aforementioned weight of silver, and return to him the written agreement.

23Do 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.”