Tobit

1Then Tobit called his son Tobias. He said, "My son, make sure the man who traveled with you gets his pay. Give him more than that too."

Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.

2Tobias said to him, "Father, it will not hurt me to give him half of what I brought back.

And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give him half of those things which I have brought:

3He brought me home to you safely. He healed my wife. He brought back my money. He healed you too."

For he hath brought me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money, and likewise healed thee.

4Then the old man said, "He has earned it."

Then the old man said, It is due unto him.

5So Tobit called the angel. He said to him, "Take half of everything you two brought back. Then go on your way safely."

So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of all that ye have brought and go away in safety.

NoteAn angel is a messenger God sends. This angel had looked like an ordinary man the whole trip. Tobias thought he was a helper named Azarias. Nobody knew he was an angel yet.

6Then the angel took them both aside. He said to them, "Bless God. Praise him. Tell how great he is. Praise him for what he has done for you, in front of everyone alive. It is good to praise God and lift up his name. It is right to tell about the works of God with honor. So do not be slow to praise him.

Then he took them both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth the works of God; therefore be not slack to praise him.

NoteTo bless God means to say good things about him.

7It is good to keep a king's secret hidden. But it brings honor to tell what God has done. Do what is good, and no evil will touch you.

It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

NoteLong ago a king's plans were kept secret. Telling a king's secret could get a person in trouble.

8Prayer is good, along with going without food, giving to the poor, and doing right. A little with doing right is better than a lot with doing wrong. It is better to give to the poor than to store up gold.

Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:

NoteGoing without food for a while is called fasting. People did it while they prayed. It showed they meant their prayers with their whole heart.

9Giving to the poor saves people from death. It washes away all sin. Those who give to the poor and do right will be full of life.

For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

NoteSin means doing what is wrong. It turns a person away from God.

10But people who sin are enemies of their own life.

But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

11I will not keep anything hidden from you. I said it is good to keep a king's secret hidden. But it brings honor to tell what God has done.

Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to keep close the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the works of God.

12When you prayed, and when Sara your son's wife prayed, I carried the memory of your prayers before the Holy One. And when you buried the dead, I was with you too.

Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when thou didst bury the dead, I was with thee likewise.

Note"The Holy One" is a name for God here. The angel carried their prayers to God, a little like carrying a letter.

13You did not wait. You got up and left your dinner to go and cover the dead. Your good deed was not hidden from me. I was with you.

And when thou didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go and cover the dead, thy good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.

NoteTo cover the dead means to bury them. Tobit's people believed burying the dead was very important. Earlier the king had told everyone not to do it. Tobit buried them anyway, even though it was dangerous.

14And now God has sent me to heal you and Sara your son's wife.

And now God hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.

15I am Raphael. I am one of the seven holy angels. We carry the prayers of God's holy people. We go in and out before the glory of the Holy One."

I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.

NoteRaphael is a name. It means "God heals." People long ago spoke of seven angels who stand closest to God. Glory means the bright shining that shows God is there.

16Then the two of them were shaken. They fell down with their faces to the ground. They were afraid.

Then they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.

NoteFalling down with your face to the ground showed great respect. People did this when something holy happened.

17But he said to them, "Do not be afraid. Things will go well with you. So praise God.

But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you; praise God therefore.

18I did not come as a favor of my own. I came because our God wanted it. So praise him forever.

For not of any favour of mine, but by the will of our God I came; wherefore praise him for ever.

19All these days you saw me here. But I did not eat or drink. What you saw was a vision.

All these days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a vision.

NoteA vision is something God lets people see. The angel looked like a man, but he did not need food or drink.

20So now give thanks to God. I am going up to the one who sent me. Write down in a book everything that has happened."

Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.

NoteBooks then were long rolls of paper. People wrote on them by hand.

21When they got up, they could not see him anymore.

And when they arose, they saw him no more.

22Then they told openly about the great and wonderful works of God. They told how the angel of the Lord had appeared to them.

Then they confessed the great and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto them.

NoteAn angel of the Lord means a messenger sent by God.

1Then Tobit wrote a prayer full of joy. He said, "Praise God, who lives forever. Praise his kingdom."

Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said, Blessed be God that liveth for ever, and blessed be his kingdom.

NoteTobit was an old man from Israel who lived far from his homeland. "Blessed be God" is an old way of saying "praise God." God's kingdom means everywhere God rules as king.

2He punishes, and he shows mercy. He brings people down to the grave, and he brings them up again. No one can get away from his hand.

For he doth scourge, and hath mercy: he leadeth down to hell, and bringeth up again: neither is there any that can avoid his hand.

NoteWhere the plain words say "the grave," the King James says "hell." Here it means the place of the dead. Mercy means being kind to someone instead of punishing them. "His hand" means his power to do things.

3Give thanks to him in front of the other nations, children of Israel. He has scattered us among them.

Confess him before the Gentiles, ye children of Israel: for he hath scattered us among them.

NoteThe King James says "the Gentiles." That means all the people who were not from Israel. "Children of Israel" means the Jewish people. They all came from one big family long ago. Scattered means Tobit's people were carried away from their own land. They had to live in other countries.

4Tell them there how great he is. Praise him in front of everyone alive. He is our Lord. He is God, our Father, forever.

There declare his greatness, and extol him before all the living: for he is our Lord, and he is the God our Father for ever.

Note"Extol" is an old word. It means to praise someone out loud.

5He will punish us for the wrong things we have done. Then he will show us mercy again. He will gather us back from all the nations where he scattered us.

And he will scourge us for our iniquities, and will have mercy again, and will gather us out of all nations, among whom he hath scattered us.

6Turn to him with your whole heart and your whole mind. Live in an honest way in front of him. Then he will turn to you. He will not hide his face from you. So watch what he will do with you. Thank him with your whole mouth. Praise the Lord who is strong. Praise the King who lives forever. In the land where I was taken away, I praise him. I tell a sinful nation how strong and great he is. You sinners, turn around. Do what is right in front of him. Who knows? Maybe he will accept you and show you mercy.

If ye turn to him with your whole heart, and with your whole mind, and deal uprightly before him, then will he turn unto you, and will not hide his face from you. Therefore see what he will do with you, and confess him with your whole mouth, and praise the Lord of might, and extol the everlasting King. In the land of my captivity do I praise him, and declare his might and majesty to a sinful nation. O ye sinners, turn and do justice before him: who can tell if he will accept you, and have mercy on you?

NoteYour whole heart and whole mind means all of you, not just a little bit. "The land of my captivity" means the country where Tobit was kept. Soldiers had taken him far from home.

7I will praise my God. Deep inside, I will praise the King of heaven. I will be glad because he is so great.

I will extol my God, and my soul shall praise the King of heaven, and shall rejoice in his greatness.

NoteThe King James says "my soul." A soul is the deepest part of a person, who you really are.

8Let everyone speak. Let everyone praise him for doing what is right.

Let all men speak, and let all praise him for his righteousness.

9Jerusalem, holy city, he will punish you for the things your children did. He will show mercy again to the children of the people who do right.

O Jerusalem, the holy city, he will scourge thee for thy children’s works, and will have mercy again on the sons of the righteous.

NoteJerusalem was the most important city of Tobit's people. It was called holy because God's house was there. "Thy children's works" means the things the people of the city did.

10Give praise to the Lord, because he is good. Praise the King who lives forever. Then his holy tent will be built in you again with joy. May he make the prisoners glad there inside you. May he love the sad people in you forever.

Give praise to the Lord, for he is good: and praise the everlasting King, that his tabernacle may be builded in thee again with joy, and let him make joyful there in thee those that are captives, and love in thee for ever those that are miserable.

NoteThe King James says "tabernacle." That was a special tent where people came to worship God. Later a temple, a stone house for God, stood in Jerusalem instead. Captives are people taken away from home and kept by an enemy.

11Many nations will come from far away to the name of the Lord God. They will carry gifts in their hands, gifts for the King of heaven. People in every time to come will praise you with great joy.

Many nations shall come from far to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven; all generations shall praise thee with great joy.

NoteLong ago, visitors brought presents to show honor to a king.

12Everyone who hates you is cursed. Everyone who loves you will be blessed forever.

Cursed are all they which hate thee, and blessed shall all be which love thee for ever.

NoteA curse is words asking for bad things to happen to someone. Being blessed is the opposite. It means good things and God's kindness.

13Be happy and glad for the children of the people who do right. They will be gathered together. They will praise the Lord of those who do right.

Rejoice and be glad for the children of the just: for they shall be gathered together, and shall bless the Lord of the just.

Note"The just" means people who do what is right and fair.

14How happy are the people who love you. They will be glad because you have peace. Happy are the people who were sad about all your punishments. They will be glad about you when they see all your glory. They will be happy forever.

O blessed are they which love thee, for they shall rejoice in thy peace: blessed are they which have been sorrowful for all thy scourges; for they shall rejoice for thee, when they have seen all thy glory, and shall be glad for ever.

Note"Thy scourges" means the hard punishments the city went through. Glory means how bright and wonderful something is.

15Deep inside me, let me praise God, the great King.

Let my soul bless God the great King.

16Jerusalem will be built with sapphires and emeralds and other precious stones. Your walls, your towers, and the tops of your walls will be pure gold.

For Jerusalem shall be built up with sapphires and emeralds, and precious stone: thy walls and towers and battlements with pure gold.

NoteSapphires are deep blue jewels. Emeralds are green jewels. Both cost a lot of money. The King James says "battlements." Those are the notched stone tops of a city wall. Soldiers stood behind them to keep watch.

17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl and carbuncle and stones from Ophir.

And the streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with beryl and carbuncle and stones of Ophir.

NotePaved means covered with flat stones instead of dirt. Beryl is a jewel that is often green or blue-green. A carbuncle is a deep red jewel. Ophir was a faraway land. People knew it for its gold and fine stones.

18All her streets will say, "Alleluia!" They will praise him and say, "Praise God, who has lifted it up high forever."

And all her streets shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise him, saying, Blessed be God, which hath extolled it for ever.

Note"Alleluia" is a very old word. It means "praise the Lord!"

1Then Tobit finished praising God.

So Tobit made an end of praising God.

2Tobit was fifty-eight years old when he lost his sight. Eight years later he could see again. He gave gifts to poor people. He feared God more and more, and he praised him.

And he was eight and fifty years old when he lost his sight, which was restored to him after eight years: and he gave alms, and he increased in the fear of the Lord God, and praised him.

Note"Feared God" does not mean Tobit was scared of God. It means he honored God and did what God said.

3Tobit grew very old. He called his son and his son's sons. He said to him, "My son, take your children. Look, I am old. I am ready to leave this life.

And when he was very aged he called his son, and the sons of his son, and said to him, My son, take thy children; for, behold, I am aged, and am ready to depart out of this life.

Note"His son's sons" means his grandchildren. Tobit's son was named Tobias.

4Go to the land of Media, my son. Jonas was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. I truly believe what he said about the city of Nineve. It will be thrown down. In Media there will be peace for a while. Our people will be scattered across the earth, far from that good land. Jerusalem will be left empty. The house of God there will be burned. It will stay empty for a time.

Go into Media my son, for I surely believe those things which Jonas the prophet spake of Nineve, that it shall be overthrown; and that for a time peace shall rather be in Media; and that our brethren shall lie scattered in the earth from that good land: and Jerusalem shall be desolate, and the house of God in it shall be burned, and shall be desolate for a time;

NoteMedia was a land far to the east, past the mountains. Nineve was the big city where Tobit lived. Its soldiers had taken his people far from home. Jonas is the man we also call Jonah. "The house of God" means the temple in Jerusalem. A temple is a special building where people worship God.

5Then God will be kind to them again. He will bring them back to the land. There they will build the house of God. It will not be like the first one. That will last until the time of that age is over. After that they will come back from every place where they were held. They will build Jerusalem up in a grand way. The house of God will be built there forever, a splendid building. The prophets said this would happen.

And that again God will have mercy on them, and bring them again into the land, where they shall build a temple, but not like to the first, until the time of that age be fulfilled; and afterward they shall return from all places of their captivity, and build up Jerusalem gloriously, and the house of God shall be built in it for ever with a glorious building, as the prophets have spoken thereof.

NoteGod's people had been carried off by enemy soldiers. They had to live in other countries far away. Tobit says they will one day come home again.

6All the nations will turn and truly fear the Lord God. They will bury their idols.

And all nations shall turn, and fear the Lord God truly, and shall bury their idols.

NoteIdols are statues that people prayed to as gods. Burying them means throwing them away for good.

7So all the nations will praise the Lord. His people will thank God. The Lord will lift his people up high. All who love the Lord God in truth and fairness will be glad. They will show mercy to our people.

So shall all nations praise the Lord, and his people shall confess God, and the Lord shall exalt his people; and all those which love the Lord God in truth and justice shall rejoice, shewing mercy to our brethren.

Note"The nations" means all the different peoples of the world. Mercy means being kind to someone who needs help.

8And now, my son, leave Nineve. What the prophet Jonas said will surely happen.

And now, my son, depart out of Nineve, because that those things which the prophet Jonas spake shall surely come to pass.

9But keep the law and the commands. Be merciful, and do what is right. Then it will go well for you.

But keep thou the law and the commandments, and shew thyself merciful and just, that it may go well with thee.

Note"The law and the commands" are the rules God gave his people long ago.

10Bury me properly, and bury your mother with me. Do not stay in Nineve any longer. Remember, my son, what Aman did to Achiacharus, who raised him. He took him out of the light and into the dark. That is how he paid him back. Yet Achiacharus was saved. The other one got what he had earned, for he went down into darkness. Manasses gave gifts to the poor. He got away from the deadly trap that was set for him. But Aman fell into the trap and died.

And bury me decently, and thy mother with me; but tarry no longer at Nineve. Remember, my son, how Aman handled Achiacharus that brought him up, how out of light he brought him into darkness, and how he rewarded him again: yet Achiacharus was saved, but the other had his reward: for he went down into darkness. Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death which they had set for him: but Aman fell into the snare, and perished.

NoteAchiacharus was Tobit's nephew. He had an important job working for the king. Aman was a boy he raised like a son. Aman told lies about him and had him shut away underground. That is what going "out of the light and into the dark" means. People long ago knew this story well, like we know old tales.

11So now, my son, think about what giving to the poor does. Think about how doing right rescues a person." While he was saying these things, he died in his bed. He was one hundred fifty-eight years old. Tobias buried him with great honor.

Wherefore now, my son, consider what alms doeth, and how righteousness doth deliver. When he had said these things, he gave up the ghost in the bed, being an hundred and eight and fifty years old; and he buried him honourably.

12When his mother Anna died, he buried her with his father. Then Tobias left with his wife and children. They went to Ecbatane, to Raguel, his wife's father.

And when Anna his mother was dead, he buried her with his father. But Tobias departed with his wife and children to Ecbatane to Raguel his father in law,

NoteEcbatane was a city in the land of Media. Raguel was the father of Sara, the wife of Tobias.

13There he grew old and was honored. He buried his wife's father and mother with great honor. He received all that they owned, and all that his father Tobit owned.

Where he became old with honour, and he buried his father and mother in law honourably, and he inherited their substance, and his father Tobit’s.

NoteWhen people died, their house, land, and money went to their family. That is what "received all that they owned" means.

14He died at Ecbatane in Media. He was one hundred twenty-seven years old.

And he died at Ecbatane in Media, being an hundred and seven and twenty years old.

15Before he died, he heard that Nineve was destroyed. Nabuchodonosor and Assuerus captured it. Before his death he was glad about Nineve.

But before he died he heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was taken by Nabuchodonosor and Assuerus: and before his death he rejoiced over Nineve.

NoteNabuchodonosor and Assuerus were kings of other lands. Their armies knocked down the city of Nineve.