1
There was a man of Nephthali dwelling in the city of that name, which lies in the hill-country of Galilee, beyond Naasson, by the road leading westwards with Sephet on the left of it. His name was Tobias;
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and when he was carried off as a prisoner by the Assyrians under king Salmanasar, he would not make his exile an excuse for deserting true religion.
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Every day he would share whatever means he had with his fellow-captives, that were men of his own clan.
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Even when he was a boy, and was of least regard among the men of Nephthali, no boyish levity did his acts display.
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While the rest had recourse to the golden calves Jeroboam had set up when he reigned in Israel, Tobias shunned their company and went his own way;
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went up to Jerusalem to the Lord’s temple, and worshipped the Lord that was God of Israel. First-fruit and tithe he duly offered,
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and every third year he tithed his goods afresh, for the needs of wanderers and homeless folk.
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By such acts as these he shewed, even in boyhood, what loyalty he had for the law of God;
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when he grew up it was a maiden of his own tribe, called Anna, that he wedded, and their son, called by his father’s name,
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was brought up to fear God and keep clear of every fault.
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Such was he, when, like all his tribe, he was carried away, with his wife and his son, to Nineve.
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All the rest might share the food of the Gentiles, he would not lose his innocence, he would not defile himself by eating what the law forbade.
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And God, finding his heart so loyal to the divine commands, won him favour with king Salmanasar.
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From this king he had leave to go where he would, and spend his time as he would;
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so he made a round of all his fellow-exiles, giving them such good counsel as might avail them.
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Once he was at a Median city called Rages, and had with him ten talents of silver, a gift from the king’s bounty.
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To what use should he put it? He found there a fellow-tribesman of his own, called Gabelus, who was in great need; to him, then, he lent the aforesaid silver under a bond.
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Time passed; Salmanasar died, and the throne passed to his son Sennacherib, who was no friend to the Jews;
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and now it was Tobias’ daily task to visit his own clansmen, comforting them and providing for each of them as best he could, out of what store he had;
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it was for him to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to honour with careful burial men that had died of sickness, and men slain.
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When Sennacherib came home from Judaea, escaping while he might from the divine vengeance his blasphemies had brought upon him, he killed many an Israelite in his anger; and these too Tobias would bury.
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When this came to the king’s ears, he gave orders that Tobias should be put to death, and seized all his property;
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but he escaped, with his wife and son, into safe hiding; destitute as he was, he had many friends.
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And then, forty-five days later, Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons,
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whereupon Tobias came back home, and had all his goods restored to him.✻
