XVI and not hide their sinnes, CHAPTER get children. And they that occupy their merchandize with robbery, the more they decke their citties, their houses, their possessions and their owne persons: the more will I be angry with them for their sinne, saith the Lord. Like as an whore envieth a right honest and vertuous woman: so shall righteousnesse hate iniquity, when she decketh her selfe, and shall accuse her, to her face, when he commeth that shall defend him that diligently searcheth out every sinne upon earth. And therfore be yee not like therunto, nor to the workes thereof. For yet a little iniquitie shall be taken away out of the earth, and righteousnesse shall reigne among you. Let not the sinner say that he hath not sinned: for God shall burne coales of fire upon his head, which saith before the Lord God and his glory, I have not sinned. Behold, the Lord knoweth all the workes of men, their imaginations, their thoughts, and their hearts: which spake but the word, let the earth be made, and it was made: let the heaven be made, and it was created. In his word were the starres made, and he knoweth the number of them. He searcheth the deepe, and the treasures thereof, he hath measured the Sea, and what it containeth. He hath shut the Sea in the midst of the waters, and with his word hath he hanged the earth upon the waters. He spreadeth out the heavens like a vault, upon the waters hath he founded it. In the desart hath hee made springs of water, and pooles upon the tops of the mountaines, that the floods might powre downe from the high rockes to water the earth. He made man, and put his heart in the midst of the body, and gave him breath, life, and understanding. Yea and the spirit of Almighty God, which made all things, and searcheth out all hidden things in the secrets of the earth. Surely he knoweth your inventions, and what you thinke in your hearts, even them that sinne, and would hide their sinne. Therefore hath the Lord exactly searched out all your workes, and he will put you all to shame. And when your sinnes are brought foorth yee shalbe ashamed before men, and your owne sinnes shall be your accusers in that day. What will yee doe? or how will yee hide your sinnes before God and his Angels? Behold, God himselfe is the iudge, feare him: leave off from your sinnes, and forget your iniquities to meddle no more with them for ever, so shall God lead you forth, and deliver you from all trouble. For behold, the burning wrath of a great multitude is kindled over you, and they shall take away certaine of you, and feede you being idle with things offered unto idoles. And they that consent unto them shall be had in derision, and in reproch, and troden under foote. For there shall be in every place, and in the next cities a great insurrection upon those that feare CHAPTER XVI be delivered. the Lord. They shall be like mad men, sparing none, but still TOBIT CHAPTER I devotion in HE Booke of the wordes of Tobit, sonne of Tobit his Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the sonne of Aduel, stocke, and the sonne of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of his youth, the Tribe of Nephthali, who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians, was led captive out of Thisbe which is at the right hand of that citie, which is called properly Nephthali in Galile above Aser. I Tobit have walked all the dayes of my life in the way of trueth, and iustice, and I did many almes deeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineve into the land of the Assyrians. And when I was in mine owne countrey, in the land of Israel, being but yong, all the tribe of Nephthali my father, fell from the house of Ierusalem, 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. Now all the tribes which together revolted, and the house of my father Nephthali sacrificed unto the heifer Baal. But I alone went CHAPTER I often to Ierusalem at the Feasts, as it was ordeined unto al the people of Israel by an everlasting decree, having the first fruits, and tenths of encrease, with that which was first shorne, and them gave I at the Altar to the Priestes the children of Aaron. The first tenth part of al increase, I gave to the sonnes of Aaron, who ministred at Ierusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every yeere at Ierusalem. And the third, I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my fathers mother had commanded mee, because I was left an orphane by my father. His marriage, Furthermore when I was come to the age of a man, I married And captivitie, Anna of mine owne kinred, and of her I begate Tobias. And when we were caried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren, and those that were of my kinred, did eate of the bread of the Gentiles. But I kept my selfe from eating; because I remembred His preferment, God with all my heart. And the most High gave me grace, and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his purveyour. And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias at Rages a citie of Media, ten talents of silver. Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his sonne reigned in his stead, whose estate was troubled, that I could not goe into Media. And in the time of Enemessar, I gave many almes to my brethren, and gave my bread to the hungry, and my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the walles of Nineve, I buried him. And if the king Sennacherib had slaine any, when hee was come, and fledde from Iudea, I buried them privily, (for in his wrath hee killed many) but the bodies were not found, when For which he they were sought for of the king. And when one of the Ninevites Almes and charitie in burying the dead, is accused and flieth, And after returneth to Ninive. went, and complained of me to the king that I buried them, and hid my selfe understanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew my selfe for feare. Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, besides my wife Anna, and my sonne Tobias. And there passed not five and fiftie dayes before two of his sonnes killed him, and they fled into the mountaines of Ararath, and Sarchedonus his sonne reigned in his stead, who appointed over his fathers accounts, and over all his affaires, Achiacharus my brother Anaels sonne. Achiacharus entreating for me, I returned to Nineve: now Achiacharus was Cup-bearer, and keeper of the Signet, and Steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto him and hee was my brothers sonne. And CHAPTER II CHAPTER II OW when I was come home againe, and my wife Anna was Tobit leaveth restored unto me, with my sonne Tobias, in the feast of his meate to bury the dead, Pentecost, which is the holy Feast of the seven weekes, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sate down to eate. And when I saw abundance of meate, I sayd to my sonne, Goe and bring what poore man soever thou shalt finde out of our brethren, who is mindfull of the Lord, and loe, I tarie for thee. But he came againe and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the market place. Then before I had tasted of any meate, I start up and tooke him up into a roume, untill the going downe of the Sunne. Then I returned and washed my selfe, and ate my meate in heavinesse, remembring that prophesie of Amos, as hee said; Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, And all your mirth into lamentation. Therefore I wept and after the going downe of the Sunne, I went and made a grave, and buried him. But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraide to be put to death for this matter, who fledde away, and yet loe, he burieth the dead againe. The same night also I returned from the buriall, and slept by the wall of my court yard, being polluted, and my face was uncovered: and I knewe not that there were Sparrowes in and becommeth the wall, and mine eyes being open, the Sparrowes muted warme blinde. doung into mine eyes, and a whitenesse came in mine eyes, and I went to the Physicians, but they helped me not: moreover Achiacharus did nourish mee, untill I went into Elymais. And my wife His wife Anna did take womens workes to doe. And when shee had sent taketh in worke to get them home to the owners, they payd her wages, and gave her also her living. besides a kid. And when it was in mine house, and beganne to crie, I said unto her, From whence is this kidde? is it not stollen? render it to the owners, for it is not lawfull to eate any thing that is stollen. But shee replyed upon me, It was given for a gift more Her husband then the wages: Howbeit I did not beleeve her, but bade her and she fall render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. But she a kidde. replyed upon me, Where are thine almes, and thy righteous deedes? behold, thou and all thy workes are knowen. out about 71 CHAPTER Tobit grieved T CHAPTER III HEN I being grieved, did weepe, and in my sorrowe prayed, saying, O Lord, thou art iust and all thy workes, and all thy wayes are mercie and trueth, and thou iudgest truely and iustly for ever. Remember me, and looke on me, punish me not for my sinnes and ignorances, and the sinnes of my fathers, who have sinned before thee. For they obeyed not thy commandements, wherefore thou hast delivered us for a spoile, and unto captivitie, and unto death, and for a proverbe of reproch to all the nations among whom we are dispersed. And now thy iudgments are many and true: Deale with me according to my sinnes, and my fathers: because we have not kept thy commandements, neither have walked in trueth before thee. Now therefore deale with me as seemeth best unto thee, and command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be dissolved, and become earth: for it is profitable for me to die, rather then to live, because I have heard false reproches, and have much sorow: command therfore that I may now be delivered out of this distresse, and goe into the everlasting place: turne not thy face away from me. It came to passe the same day, that in Ecbatane a citie of Media, Sara the daughter of Raguel, was also reproched by her fathers maides, because that she had bin maried to seven husbands, whom Asmodeus the evill spirit had killed, before they had lien with her. Doest thou not knowe, said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seven husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them. Wherefore doest thou beate us for them? If they be dead, goe thy wayes after them, let us never see of thee either sonne or daughter. When she heard these things, she was very sorowful, so that she thought to have strangled her selfe, and she said, I am the onely daughter of my father, and if I doe this, it shall bee a reproch unto him, and I shall bring his old age with Sara reproched sorow unto the grave. Then she prayed toward the window, and by her said, Blessed art thou, O Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious fathers maides, Name is blessed, and honourable for ever, let al thy works praise thee for ever. And now, O Lord, I set mine eyes and my face toward thee, and say, Take me out of the earth, that I may heare no more the reproch. Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sinne with man, and that I never polluted my name, nor the name of my father in the land of my captivitie: I am the onely daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to bee his heire, neither any neere kinseman, nor any sonne of his alive, to whome I may keepe my selfe for a wife: my seven husbands are already prayeth also. |