Tobit 1

¹Asiel soyundan, Naftali oymağından Gabahel oğlu, Aduel oğlu, Ananiel oğlu, Tobiel oğlu Tobit’in sözlerinin kitabıdır.

²Kendisi, Asur kralı Enemessar’ın günlerinde, Celile’de, Aşer’in yukarısında, Naftali’nin sağındaki Kedes’in sağ tarafında bulunan Tisbe’den sürgün edilmişti. Ben Tobit, hayatımın bütün günlerinde doğruluk ve adalet yollarında yürüdüm.

³Asur ülkesine, Nineve’ye benimle birlikte sürgüne giden kardeşlerime ve ulusuma bol bol sadaka verdim.

⁴Ben henüz gençken, kendi ülkemde, İsrail toprağındayken, babam Naftali’nin bütün oymağı, bütün İsrail oymaklarının kurban sunması için seçilmiş olan Yeruşalim Tapınağı’ndan yüz çevirmişti; oysa Yüce Olan’ın konutunun tapınağı orada kutsanmış ve bütün gelecek kuşaklar için sonsuza dek kurulmuştu.

⁵Baş kaldıran bütün oymaklar ve babam Naftali’nin evi, düve Baal’e kurban sunarlardı.

⁶Bense, tüm İsrail’e sonsuz bir buyrukla buyrulduğu gibi, bayramlarda sık sık tek başıma Yeruşalim’e giderdim; yanımda ilk ürünleri, ürünlerin ondalıklarını ve ilk kırkılan yünleri götürürdüm.

⁷Bunları sunak için Harun oğulları olan kâhinlere verirdim. Yeruşalim’de hizmet eden Levi oğullarına ürünlerin ondalığını verirdim; ikinci ondalığı ise satıp paraya çevirir, her yıl Yeruşalim’e gider ve orada harcardım.

⁸Üçüncü ondalığı ise, babam tarafından yetim bırakıldığım için, babamın annesi Debora’nın bana buyurduğu gibi, hakkı olan yoksul ve yabancılara verirdim.

⁹Yetişkin bir adam olduğumda, kendi soyumuzun ailesinden Anna adında bir kadınla evlendim ve ondan Tobia adında bir oğlum oldu.

¹⁰Nineve’ye sürgün edildiğimizde, bütün kardeşlerim ve soyumdan olanlar putperest ulusların ekmeğinden yediler.

¹¹Ama ben kendimi korudum ve onların yiyeceklerinden yemedim.

¹²Çünkü bütün canımla Tanrı’yı anıyordum.

¹³Yüce Olan, Enemessar’ın gözünde bana lütuf ve saygınlık kazandırdı, böylece onun satın alma memuru oldum.

¹⁴Medya’ya giderdim ve Medya’nın Rages kentinde Gabrias’ın kardeşi Gabahel’e emanet olarak on talant gümüş bıraktım.

¹⁵Enemessar ölünce yerine oğlu Sanherib kral oldu; onun döneminde yollar güvensizleşti ve artık Medya’ya gidemedim.

¹⁶Enemessar’ın günlerinde kardeşlerime bol bol sadaka verirdim.

¹⁷Ekmeğimi aç olanlara, giysilerimi çıplaklara verirdim; soyumdan birinin ölüp cesedinin Nineve surlarının arkasına atıldığını görsem, onu gömerdim.

¹⁸Kral Sanherib Yahudiye’den kaçıp geldiğinde, onun öldürdüğü kişileri gizlice gömdüm; çünkü öfkeyle pek çok kişiyi öldürmüştü. Kral cesetleri arattığında hiçbirini bulamadı.

¹⁹Nineve halkından biri gidip krala onları benim gömdüğümü bildirdi; ben de gizlendim. Öldürülmek üzere arandığımı öğrenince korkup kaçtım.

²⁰Bütün malım mülküm yağmalandı; karım Anna ve oğlum Tobia’dan başka bana hiçbir şey kalmadı.

²¹Aradan elli gün geçmeden kralı kendi iki oğlu öldürdü ve Ararat dağlarına kaçtılar. Yerine oğlu Esarhaddon kral oldu ve kardeşimin oğlu Anael oğlu Ahiahos’u krallığının tüm hesap işlerinin ve genel yönetiminin başına getirdi.

²²Ahiahos benim için ricada bulundu, böylece Nineve’ye dönebildim. Ahiahos saki, mühürdar, kâhya ve hesap sorumlusuydu; Esarhaddon onu kendisinden sonraki ikinci yetkili kılmıştı. Kendisi benim yeğenimdi.

¹ΒΙΒΛΟΣ λόγων Τωβίτ, τοῦ Τωβιήλ, τοῦ ᾿Ανανιήλ, τοῦ ᾿Αδουήλ, τοῦ Γαβαήλ, ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος ᾿Ασιήλ, ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Νεφθαλίμ,

²ὃς ᾐχμαλωτεύθη ἐν ἡμέραις ᾿Ενεμεσσάρου τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐκ Θίσβης, ἥ ἐστιν ἐκ δεξιῶν Κυδίως τῆς Νεφθαλὶ ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ὑπεράνω ᾿Ασήρ. - ἐγὼ Τωβὶτ ὁδοῖς ἀληθείας ἐπορευόμην καὶ δικαιοσύνης πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου

³καὶ ἐλεημοσύνας πολλὰς ἐποίησα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου καὶ τῷ ἔθνει, τοῖς προπορευθεῖσι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ εἰς χώραν ᾿Ασσυρίων εἰς Νινευῆ.

⁴καὶ ὅτε ἤμην ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ μου ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾿Ισραὴλ νεωτέρου μου ὄντος, πᾶσα φυλὴ τοῦ Νεφθαλὶμ τοῦ πατρός μου ἀπέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου ῾Ιερουσολύμων, τῆς ἐκλεγείσης ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν φυλῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς τὸ θυσιάζειν πάσας τὰς φυλάς· καὶ ἡγιάσθη ὁ ναὸς τῆς κατασκηνώσεως τοῦ ῾Υψίστου καὶ ᾠκοδομήθη εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνος.

⁵καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ αἱ συναποστᾶσαι ἔθυον τῇ Βάαλ τῇ δαμάλει καὶ ὁ οἶκος Νεφθαλὶμ τοῦ πατρός μου.

⁶κἀγὼ μόνος ἐπορευόμην πλεονάκις εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς, καθὼς γέγραπται παντὶ τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν προστάγματι αἰωνίῳ, τὰς ἀπαρχὰς καὶ τὰς δεκάτας τῶν γεννημάτων καὶ τὰς πρωτοκουρίας ἔχων·

⁷καὶ ἐδίδουν αὐτὰς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ααρὼν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον πάντων τῶν γεννημάτων. τὴν δεκάτην ἐδίδουν τοῖς υἱοῖς Λευὶ τοῖς θεραπεύουσιν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ τὴν δευτέραν δεκάτην ἀπεπρατιζόμην καὶ ἐπορευόμην καὶ ἐδαπάνων αὐτὰ ἐν ῾Ιεροσολύμοις καθ᾿ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτόν.

⁸καὶ τὴν τρίτην ἐδίδουν οἷς καθήκει, καθὼς ἐνετείλατο Δεββώρα ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ πατρός μου, διότι ὀρφανὸς κατελείφθην ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου.

⁹καὶ ὅτε ἐγενόμην ἀνήρ, ἔλαβον ῎Ανναν γυναῖκα ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος τῆς πατριᾶς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐγέννησα ἐξ αὐτῆς Τωβίαν.

¹⁰καὶ ὅτε ᾐχμαλωτίσθημεν εἰς Νινευῆ, πάντες οἱ ἀδελφοί μου καὶ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ γένους μου ἤσθιον ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων τῶν ἐθνῶν·

¹¹ἐγὼ δὲ συνετήρησα τὴν ψυχήν μου μὴ φαγεῖν,

¹²καθότι ἐμεμνήμην τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ μου.

¹³καὶ ἔδωκεν ὁ ῞Υψιστος χάριν καὶ μορφὴν ἐνώπιον ᾿Ενεμεσσάρου, καὶ ἤμην αὐτοῦ ἀγοραστής·

¹⁴καὶ ἐπορευόμην εἰς τὴν Μηδίαν καὶ παρεθέμην Γαβαήλῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ Γαβρία ἐν Ῥάγοις τῆς Μηδίας ἀργυρίου τάλαντα δέκα.

¹⁵Καὶ ὅτε ἀπέθανεν Ἐνεμεσσάρ, ἐβασίλευσε Σενναχηρὶμ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ ἠκαταστάθησαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ἠδυνάσθην πορευθῆναι εἰς τὴν Μηδίαν.

¹⁶καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἐνεμεσσάρου ἐλεημοσύνας πολλὰς ἐποίουν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου·

¹⁷τοὺς ἄρτους μου ἐδίδουν τοῖς πεινῶσι καὶ ἱμάτια τοῖς γυμνοῖς, καὶ εἴ τινα ἐκ τοῦ γένους μου ἐθεώρουν τεθνηκότα καὶ ἐρριμμένον ὀπίσω τοῦ τείχους Νινευῆ, ἔθαπτον αὐτόν.

¹⁸καὶ εἴ τινα ἀπέκτεινε Σενναχηρὶμ ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτε ἦλθε φεύγων ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἔθαψα αὐτοὺς κλέπτων· πολλοὺς γὰρ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τῷ θυμῷ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐζητήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ σώματα, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη.

¹⁹πορευθεὶς δὲ εἷς τῶν ἐν Νινευῆ, ὑπέδειξε τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ ὅτι θάπτω αὐτούς, καὶ ἐκρύβην· ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ ὅτι ζητοῦμαι ἀποθανεῖν, φοβηθεὶς ἀνεχώρησα.

²⁰καὶ διηρπάγη πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη μοι οὐδὲν πλὴν Ἄννας τῆς γυναικός μου καὶ Τωβίου τοῦ υἱοῦ μου.

²¹καὶ οὐ διῆλθον ἡμέρας πεντήκοντα, ἕως οὗ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτὸν οἱ δύο υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὰ ὄρη Ἀραράθ, καὶ ἐβασίλευσε Σαχερδονὸς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔταξεν Ἀχιάχαρον τὸν Ἀναὴλ υἱὸν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐκλογιστίαν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τήν διοίκησιν.

²²καὶ ἠξίωσεν Ἀχιάχαρος περὶ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Νινευῆ. Ἀχιάχαρος δὲ ἦν ὁ οἰνοχόος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ δακτυλίου καὶ διοικητὴς καὶ ἐκλογιστής, καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Σαχερδονὸς ἐκ δευτέρας· ἦν δὲ ἐξάδελφός μου.

¹The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of Nephthali;

²Who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was led captive out of Thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is called properly Nephthali in Galilee above Aser.

³I Tobit have walked all the days of my life in the ways of truth and justice, and I did many almsdeeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineve, into the land of the Assyrians.

⁴And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel being but young, all the tribe of Nephthali my father fell from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, where the temple of the habitation of the most High was consecrated and built for all ages.

⁵Now all the tribes which together revolted, and the house of my father Nephthali, sacrificed unto the heifer Baal.

⁶But I alone went often to Jerusalem at the feasts, as it was ordained unto all the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having the first fruits and tenths of increase, with that which was first shorn; and them gave I at the altar to the priests the children of Aaron.

⁷The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron, who ministered at Jerusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every year at Jerusalem:

⁸And the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father.

⁹Furthermore, when I was come to the age of a man, I married Anna of mine own kindred, and of her I begat Tobias.

¹⁰And when we were carried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles.

¹¹But I kept myself from eating;

¹²Because I remembered God with all my heart.

¹³And the most High gave me grace and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his purveyor.

¹⁴And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias, at Rages a city of Media ten talents of silver.

¹⁵Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead; whose estate was troubled, that I could not go into Media.

¹⁶And in the time of Enemessar I gave many alms to my brethren, and gave my bread to the hungry,

¹⁷And my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the walls of Nineve, I buried him.

¹⁸And if the king Sennacherib had slain any, when he was come, and fled from Judea, I buried them privily; for in his wrath he killed many; but the bodies were not found, when they were sought for of the king.

¹⁹And when one of the Ninevites went and complained of me to the king, that I buried them, and hid myself; understanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear.

²⁰Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, beside my wife Anna and my son Tobias.

²¹And there passed not five and fifty days, before two of his sons killed him, and they fled into the mountains of Ararath; and Sarchedonus his son reigned in his stead; who appointed over his father’s accounts, and over all his affairs, Achiacharus my brother Anael’s son.

²²And Achiacharus intreating for me, I returned to Nineve. Now Achiacharus was cupbearer, and keeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto him: and he was my brother’s son.