Tobias ex tribu et civitate Nephthali (quæ est in superioribus Galilææ supra Naasson, post viam quæ ducit ad occidentem, in sinistro habens civitatem Sephet)

Tobias of the tribe and city of Nephtali, (which is in the upper parts of Galilee above Naasson, beyond the way that leadeth to the west, having on the right hand the city of Sephet,)

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;

cum captus esset in diebus Salmanasar regis Assyriorum, in captivitate tamen positus, viam veritatis non deseruit,

When he was made captive in the days of Salmanasar king of the Assyrians, even in his captivity, forsook not the way of truth,

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.

ita ut omnia quæ habere poterat, quotidie concaptivis fratribus, qui erant ex ejus genere, impertiret.

But every day gave all he could get to his brethren his fellow captives, that were of his kindred.

Every day he would share whatever means he had with his fellow-captives, that were men of his own clan.

Cumque esset junior omnibus in tribu Nephthali, nihil tamen puerile gessit in opere.

And when he was younger than any of the tribe of Nephtali, yet did he no childish thing in his work.

Even when he was a boy, and was of least regard among the men of Nephthali, no boyish levity did his acts display.

Denique, cum irent omnes ad vitulos aureos quos Jeroboam fecerat rex Israël, hic solus fugiebat consortia omnium.

Moreover when all went to the golden calves which Jeroboam king of Israel had made, he alone fled the company of all,

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;

Sed pergebat in Jerusalem ad templum Domini, et ibi adorabat Dominum Deum Israël, omnia primitiva sua et decimas suas fideliter offerens,

And went to Jerusalem to the temple of the Lord, and there adored the Lord God of Israel, offering faithfully all his firstfruits, and his tithes,

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,

ita ut in tertio anno proselytis et advenis ministraret omnem decimationem.

So that in the third year he gave all his tithes to the proselytes, and strangers.

and every third year he tithed his goods afresh, for the needs of wanderers and homeless folk.

Hæc et his similia secundum legem Dei puerulus observabat.

These and such like things did he observe when but a boy according to the law of God.

By such acts as these he shewed, even in boyhood, what loyalty he had for the law of God;

Cum vero factus esset vir, accepit uxorem Annam de tribu sua, genuitque ex ea filium, nomen suum imponens ei:

But when he was a man, he took to wife Anna of his own tribe, and had a son by her, whom he called after his own name,

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,

quem ab infantia timere Deum docuit, et abstinere ab omni peccato.

And from his infancy he taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin.

was brought up to fear God and keep clear of every fault.

Igitur, cum per captivitatem devenisset cum uxore sua et filio in civitatem Niniven cum omni tribu sua

And when by the captivity he with his wife and his son and all his tribe was come to the city of Ninive,

Such was he, when, like all his tribe, he was carried away, with his wife and his son, to Nineve.

(cum omnes ederent ex cibis gentilium), iste custodivit animam suam, et numquam contaminatus est in escis eorum.

(When all ate of the meats of the Gentiles) he kept his soul and never was defiled with their meats.

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.

Et quoniam memor fuit Domini in toto corde suo, dedit illi Deus gratiam in conspectu Salmanasar regis,

And because he was mindful of the Lord with all his heart, God gave him favour in the sight of Salmanasar the king.

And God, finding his heart so loyal to the divine commands, won him favour with king Salmanasar.

et dedit illi potestatem quocumque vellet ire, habens libertatem quæcumque facere voluisset.

And he gave him leave to go whithersoever he would, with liberty to do whatever he had a mind.

From this king he had leave to go where he would, and spend his time as he would;

Pergebat ergo ad omnes qui erant in captivitate, et monita salutis dabat eis.

He therefore went to all that were in captivity, and gave them wholesome admonitions.

so he made a round of all his fellow-exiles, giving them such good counsel as might avail them.

Cum autem venisset in Rages civitatem Medorum, et ex his quibus honoratus fuerat a rege, habuisset decem talenta argenti:

And when he was come to Rages a city of the Medes, and had ten talents of silver of that with which he had been honoured by the king:

Once he was at a Median city called Rages, and had with him ten talents of silver, a gift from the king’s bounty.

et cum in multa turba generis sui Gabelum egentem videret, qui erat ex tribu ejus, sub chirographo dedit illi memoratum pondus argenti.

And when amongst a great multitude of his kindred, he saw Gabelus in want, who was one of his tribe, taking a note of his hand he gave him the aforesaid sum of money.

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.

Post multum vero temporis, mortuo Salmanasar rege, cum regnaret Sennacherib filius ejus pro eo, et filios Israël exosos haberet in conspectu suo,

But after a long time, Salmanasar the king being dead, when Sennacherib his son, who reigned in his place, had a hatred for the children of Israel:

Time passed; Salmanasar died, and the throne passed to his son Sennacherib, who was no friend to the Jews;

Tobias quotidie pergebat per omnem cognationem suam, et consolabatur eos, dividebatque unicuique, prout poterat, de facultatibus suis:

Tobias daily went among all his kindred, and comforted them, and distributed to every one as he was able, out of his goods:

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;

esurientes alebat, nudisque vestimenta præbebat, et mortuis atque occisis sepulturam sollicitus exhibebat.

He fed the hungry, and gave clothes to the naked, and was careful to bury the dead, and they that were slain.

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.

Denique cum reversus esset rex Sennacherib, fugiens a Judæa plagam quam circa eum fecerat Deus propter blasphemiam suam, et iratus multos occideret ex filiis Israël, Tobias sepeliebat corpora eorum.

And when king Sennacherib was come back, fleeing from Judea by reason of the slaughter that God had made about him for his blasphemy, and being angry slew many of the children of Israel, Tobias buried their bodies.

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.

At ubi nuntiatum est regi, jussit eum occidi, et tulit omnem substantiam ejus.

But when it was told the king, he commanded him to be slain, and took away all his substance.

When this came to the king’s ears, he gave orders that Tobias should be put to death, and seized all his property;

Tobias vero cum filio suo et cum uxore suo fugiens, nudus latuit, quia multi diligebant eum.

But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son and with his wife, lay concealed, for many loved him.

but he escaped, with his wife and son, into safe hiding; destitute as he was, he had many friends.

Post dies vero quadraginta quinque occiderunt regem filii ipsius,

But after forty-five days, the king was killed by his own sons.

And then, forty-five days later, Sennacherib was murdered by his own sons,

et reversus est Tobias in domum suam, omnisque facultas ejus restituta est ei.

And Tobias returned to his house, and all his substance was restored to him.

whereupon Tobias came back home, and had all his goods restored to him.