Tobit 4
1 In that day Tobit remembered the
money which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media,
2 and said with himself, I have wished
for death; wherefore do I not call for my son Tobias, that I may signify to
him of the money before I die?
3 And when he had called him, he said,
My son, when I am dead, bury me; and despise not thy mother, but honour her
all the days of thy life, and do that which shall please her, and grieve her
not. 4 Remember, my son, that she saw
many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her womb;
and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave.
5 My son, be mindful of the Lord our
God all thy days, and let not thy will be set to sin, or to transgress his
commandments: do uprightly all thy life long, and follow not the ways of
unrighteousness. 6 For if thou deal
truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that
live justly. 7 Give alms of thy
substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither
turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from
thee. 7a If thou hast abundance, give
alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according
to that little: 7b for thou layest up
a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity.
7c Because that alms do deliver from
death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.
7d For alms is a good gift unto all
that give it in the sight of the most High.
7e Beware of all whoredom, my son,
and chiefly take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange
woman to wife, which is not of thy father's tribe: for we are the children of
the prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember, my son, that our
fathers from the beginning, even that they all married wives of their own
kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed shall inherit the
land.
7f Now therefore, my son, love thy
brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sons and daughters of
thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for in
pride is destruction and much trouble, and in lewdness is decay and great
want: for lewdness is the mother of famine.
7g Let not the wages of any man,
which hath wrought for thee, tarry with thee, but give him it out of hand: for
if thou serve God, he will also repay thee: be circumspect, my son, in all
things thou doest, and be wise in all thy conversation.
7h Do that to no man which thou
hatest: drink not wine to make thee drunken: neither let drunkenness go with
thee in thy journey.
7i Give of thy bread to the hungry,
and of thy garments to them that are naked; and according to thine abundance
give alms; and let not thine eye be envious, when thou givest alms.
7k Pour out thy bread on the burial
of the just, but give nothing to the wicked.
7l Ask counsel of all that are wise,
and despise not any counsel that is profitable.
19 Bless the Lord thy God alway, and
desire of him that thy ways may be directed, and that all thy paths and
counsels may prosper: for every nation hath not counsel; but the Lord himself
giveth all good things, and he humbleth whom he will, as he will; now
therefore, my son, remember my commandments, neither let them be put out of
thy mind.
20 And now I signify this to thee,
that I committed ten talents to Gabael the son of
Gabrias at Rages in Media. 21 And
fear not, my son, that we are made poor: for thou hast much wealth, if thou
fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.