Tobit’s Youth and Virtuous Life

³ I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nin′eveh. ⁴ Now when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of Naph′tali my forefather deserted the house of Jerusalem. This was the place which had been chosen from among all the tribes of Israel, where all the tribes should sacrifice and where the temple of the dwelling of the Most High was consecrated and established for all generations for ever.

⁵ All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf^[a] Ba′al, and so did the house of Naph′tali my forefather. ⁶ But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the feasts, as it is ordained for all Israel by an everlasting decree. Taking the first fruits and the tithes of my produce and the first shearings, I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar. ⁷ Of all my produce I would give a tenth to the sons of Levi who ministered at Jerusalem; a second tenth I would sell, and I would go and spend the proceeds each year at Jerusalem; ⁸ the third tenth I would give to those to whom it was my duty, as Deb′orah my father’s mother had commanded me, for I was left an orphan by my father. ⁹ When I became a man I married Anna, a member of our family, and by her I became the father of Tobi′as.

2 When I arrived home and my wife Anna and my son Tobi′as were restored to me, at the feast of Pentecost, which is the sacred festival of the seven weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me and I sat down to eat. ² Upon seeing the abundance of food I said to my son, “Go and bring whatever poor man of our brethren you may find who is mindful of the Lord, and I will wait for you.” ³ But he came back and said, “Father, one of our people has been strangled and thrown into the market place.” ⁴ So before I tasted anything I sprang up and removed the body^[a] to a place of shelter until sunset. ⁵ And when I returned I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow. ⁶ Then I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said,

And I wept.