1 Therefore when Tobias thought his prayer to be heard that he might have died, he called to him Tobias his son,
1 Therefore when Tobias thought that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son,
2 and said to him: Hear my son the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.
2 And said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart.
3 When God shall take my soul, bury my body: & thou shalt do honour to thy mother all the days of her life:
3 When God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: ¹and thou shalt honor thy mother all the days of her life:
4 for thou must be mindful what perils, and how great she suffered for thee in her womb.
4 For thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb.
5 And when she also shall have accomplished the time of her life, bury her beside me.
5 And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.
6 And all the days of thy life have God in thy mind: and beware thou consent not to sin at any time, and pretermit the precepts of our Lord God.
6 And 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.
7 Of thy substance give alms, & turn not away thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass that neither the face of our Lord shall be turned from thee.
7 ²Give 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.
8 As thou shalt be able, so be merciful.
8 ³According to thy ability be merciful.
9 If thou have much, give aboundantly: if thou have little, study to impart also a little willingly.
9 If thou have much give abundantly: if thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little.
10 For thou doest treasure up to thyself a good reward in the day of necessity.
10 For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity.
11 Because alms delivereth from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
11 ⁴For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.
12 Great confidence before God most high shall alms be to all them that do it.
12 Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.
13 Take heed to thyself my son of all fornication, and beside thy wife never abide to know crime,
13 ⁵Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.
14 Never permit pride to rule in thy word: for in it all perdition took his beginning.
14 Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: ⁶for from it all perdition took its beginning.
15 Whosoever hath wrought any thing for thee, pay him his hire immediately, and let not the hire of thy hired servant remain with thee at all.
15 ⁷If 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.
16 That which thou hatest to be done to thee by another, see thou do it not to another at any time.
16 ⁸See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another.
17 Eat thy bread with the hungry & needy, and of thy garments cover the naked.
17 ⁹Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked,
18 Set thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with sinners.
18 Lay out thy bread, and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked.
19 Seek counsel always of a wise man.
19 Seek counsel always of a wise man.
20 At all time bless God: and desire of him, that he direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels remain in him.
20 Bless God at all times: and desire of him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in him.
21 I tell thee also my son that I gave ten talents of silver, whiles thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages a city of the Medes, & I have a bill of his hand with me:
21 I 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:
22 and therefore inquire how thou mayst come to him, and receive of him the foresaid weight of silver, and restore him the bill of his hand.
22 Now 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.
23 Fear 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 well.
23 Fear not, my son: we lead indeed a poor life, ¹⁰but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.