Tobit — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

Tobit is the story of the devout exile Tobit, his son Tobias, and the angel Raphael who guided him. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the Apocrypha, which Coverdale gathered into a section of their own under the heading “The boke of Tobias”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 14 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

What this boke conteyneth.

• Chap. I. Of the kynred, life and godly conuersacion of Tobias.
• Chap. II, The louynge compassion that Tobias sheweth in buryēge the deed, for the which cause he is hated and persecuted. God nurtoureth him with blyndnes. His wyfe casteth him in the teth.
• Chap. III. Tobias prayeth hertely vnto God, for the trouble and captiuyte of himself and the people. Of Sara the daughter of Raguel.
• Chap. IIII. Tobias teacheth his sonne in the feare of God.
• Chap. V. The sonne obeyeth the father, and goeth his earāde. God prouydeth mercifully for him, and sendeth his angell to be his gyde.
• Chap. VI. In their iourney they take a fish, wherof the angell commaundeth him to kepe the hert, the gall and the leuer, and telleth him wherto it is good.
• Chap. VII. They come to Raguel, which receaueth them louyngly, and marieth his daughter Sara vnto Tobias.
• Chap. VIII. Tobias goinge to bed with his wyfe, ordreth him self as the angell bad him, and so both he and his wyfe are preserued from euell.
• Chap. IX. Tobias sendeth the angell vnto Gabelus for the money.
• Chap. X. Tobias father and mother lōge sore for his commynge: And Raguel seynge that he can kepe him no longer, sendeth him awaie with his wife.
• Chap. XI. They returne home, and are welcommed ioyfully. Olde Tobias hath his sight agayne. They reioyse alltogether, and geue thākes vnto God.
• Chap. XII. The father and the sonne wolde fayne rewarde the angell. He wil haue nothinge: but sheweth them what he is.
• Chap. XIII. Tobias the elder prayseth God, & exorteth other mē, to be thankfull vnto him.
• Chap. XIIII. Tobias beynge now olde, prophecieth the destrucciō of Niniue, and the prosperous health of Israel. The sonne forsaketh the sinfull cite, as his father bad him, & goeth to his father in lawe.

Chapter 1

[A] TObias was of the trybe and cite of Nephtali, which lyeth in the hye countrees of Galile aboue Naason the waye towarde the west, hauynge the cite of Sephet vpon the left syde.

Though he was taken presonner in the dayes of Salmanasar kynge of the Assirians,⁽¹⁾ neuertheles beynge in captiuyte, he forsoke not yᵉ waye of trueth: In so moch that what so euer he might gett, he parted it dailie with his felowpresoners & brethren, that were of his kynred. And though he were yonger thē all in the trybe of Nephtali, yet dyd not he behaue himself childeshly in his workes. And whan all the other wente to yᵉ goldē calues,⁽²⁾ which Ieroboam the kynge of Israel had made, he himself alone fled all their companies, and gat him to Ierusalem vnto the temple of the LORDE, and there worshipped yᵉ LORDE God of Israel,⁽³⁾ faithfully offeringe all his first frutes and tithes, so that in the thirde yeare he ministred all the tithes vnto the straungers and conuertes. These and soch like thinges dyd he acordinge to the lawe of God, whan he was yet but yonge.

But whan he was a man, he toke out of [B] his owne trybe a wyfe called Anna,⁽⁴⁾ and of her he begat a sonne, whom he called after his owne name, and taught him from his youth vp, to feare God, and to refraine from all synne.

Now whan he with his wife, his sonne and with all his kynred was come in captiuite vnto Niniue, what tyme as they all are of the meates of the Heithē,⁽⁵⁾ he kepte his soule, and was neuer defyled in their meates. And for so moch as he was myndefull of the LORDE in all his hert,⁽⁶⁾ God gaue him fauoure in the presence of Salmanasar the kynge, which gaue him power to go where he wolde, and so had he liberte to do what him list.

So wente Tobias vnto all them that were [C] in preson, and comforted them,⁽⁷⁾ and gaue them wholsome exortacions. And whan he came to Rages a cite of the Medes, hauynge ⁽⁸⁾ ten talētes of syluer (of yᵉ thinges wher with the kynge had honoured him) and sawe amonge a greate company of people of his kinred, one Gabelus (which was of his owne trybe) beynge in necessite, he gaue him the sayde weight of syluer vnder an handwritinge.

After a longe season whan Salmanasar the kynge was deed, and Sennacherib his sonne reigned in his steade, which hated the children of Israel, Tobias wente daylie thorow out all his kynred, and comforted them, and gaue of his goodes to euery one of thē, as moch as he might: he fed the hongrie, clothed the naked, and buried the deed and slaine, and that diligently.

And whan Sennacherib the kynge came [D] agayne and fled out of Iewry (what tyme⁽⁹⁾ as God punyshed him for his blasphemy) & in his wrath slew many of the children of Israel, Tobias buried their bodies.⁽¹⁰⁾ But whan it was tolde the kynge, he commaunded to slaye him, and toke awaye all his goodes. Neuertheles Tobias with his sonne & with his wife fled his waye, and was hyd naked, for there were many that loued him. But after xlv. dayes the kynge was slayne of his owne sonnes. Then came Tobias againe to his house, and all his goodes were restored vnto him.

Notes to Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 17. a

⁽²⁾ 3. Re. 12. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ Exo. 22. d and 23. c Deut. 12. a 18. a. 26. a

⁽⁴⁾ Nu. 36. c

⁽⁵⁾ Gen. 43. ⟨illegible⟩ Iudit. 12. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ Iere. 40. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ Matt. 25.

⁽⁸⁾ Some reade: * ten tal⟨illegible⟩tes of golde.

⁽⁹⁾ 4. Re. 19. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ 4. Esd. 2. c

Chapter 2

[A] AFter these thinges vpon a solempne daye of the LORDE Tobias made a good feast in his house, & sayde vnto his sonne: Go yᵗ waye & brynge hither some of oure trybe, soch as feare God, that they maye make mery with vs. And whā he was gone, he came agayne, and tolde his father, that one of the children of Israel laye slayne vpon the strete. And immediatly he leape from his table, left the feast, came fastinge to the deed coarse, toke him & bare him preuely in to his house, yᵗ whan the Sonne was downe, he might safely burye him. And whā he had hyd the coarse, he ate his meate with mournynge and feare, remembrynge yᵉ wordes, that the LORDE sayeth by the prophet Amos:⁽¹⁾ youre hye feastes shalbe turned to sorowe and heuynes.

[B] But whan yᵉ Sonne was downe, he wente his waye & buried him. Then all his neghbours reproued him, sayenge: It is not lōge, sens it was commaunded to slaye the because of this matter,⁽²⁾ and hast scarce escaped the daunger of death, and buriest thou the deed againe? Neuertheles Tobias fearinge God more then the kynge, toke the bodies of the slayne, hyd them in his house, & buried them at mydnight.

[C] It happened vpō a daye, that he had buried yᵉ deed, & was weery, came home, & layed him downe by the wall & slepte. And whyle he was a slepe, there fell downe vpō his eyes warme donge out of the swalowes nest, so yᵗ he was blynde.⁽³⁾ This tentacion dyd God suffre to happen vnto him, that they which came after, might haue an example of his paciēce, like as of holy Iob. For in so moch as he euer feared God from his youth vp, & kepte his commaundementes, he was not heuy against God, that the plage of blyndnes chaūsed vnto him, but remayned stedfast in the feare of God, and thanked God all the dayes of his life.

[D] For like as blessed Iob was had in derision of kynges, euen so was he laughed to scorne of his elders & kynsfolkes, which sayde vnto him: where is thy hope,⁽⁴⁾ for yᵉ which thou hast done allmes and buried the deed? But Tobias rebuked thē, & spake: Saye not so, for we are the children of holy men,⁽⁵⁾ & loke for the life, which God shal geue vnto them, that neuer turne their beleue from him. Anna his wife wente daylie to the weeuynge worke,⁽⁶⁾ & loke what lyuinge she coude get wᵗ the laboʳ of hir handes, she brought it. And it happened yᵗ she toke a kyd and brought it home.

And whan hir huszband herd it crie, he sayde: loke yᵗ it be not stollen,⁽⁷⁾ restore it agayne to the owners: for it is not laufull for vs, to eate or to touch eny thinge of theft. Then was his wife angrie, and sayde:⁽⁸⁾ Now is thy hope become vayne openly, & thy allmes dedes are manifest. With these & soch like wordes dyd she cast him in the tethe.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩mos 8. b ⟨illegible⟩ Mac. 1. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩obi. 1. d

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩eu. 8. a ⟨illegible⟩. 13. a ⟨illegible⟩. 9. a ⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽⁴⁾ Iob 4. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Tobi▪ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ Ephe ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ Iob 1. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 3

THen Tobias toke it heuely, & wᵗ teares [A] beganne to make his prayer, sayēge: O LORDE, thou art righteous, & all thy iudgmētes are true, yee all yᵉ wayes are mercy, faithfulnes & iudgmēt.⁽¹⁾ And now O LORDE be myndefull of me, & take no vengeaunce of my synnes, nether remembre my myszdedes ner yᵉ myszdedes of my elders. For we haue not bene obediēt vnto yᵉ cōmaundemētes, therfore are we spoyled, brought in to captiuyte, in to death, in to derision & shame vnto all nacions, amōge whō thou hast scatred vs. And now O LORDE, yᵉ iudgmentes are greate, for we haue not done acordīge to yᵉ cōmaundemētes, nether haue we walked innocētly before yᵉ. And now O LORDE, deale with me acordinge to thy wil, & cōmaunde my sprete to be receaued in peace, for mere erpediēt were it for me to dye, thē to lyue.

At the same tyme it happened, that Sara [B] the daughter of Raguel at Rages a cite of yᵉ Medes was slaundred of one of hir fathers handmaydes, namely, that she shulde haue had seuen huszbandes, which as soone as they were gone in vnto hir, were slayne of the deuell called Asmodeus. Therfore whan she reproued the mayden for hir faute, she answerde her, sayenge: God let vs neuer se sonne ner daughter of the more vpon earth, thou kyller of thy huszbandes. Wilt thou slay me also, as thou hast slayne seuen men? At this voyce wēte Sara in to an hye chamber of hir house, and thre dayes and thre nightes she nether ate ner drāke, but cōtynued in prayer, and besought God with teares, that he wolde delyuer her from this rebuke.

[C] Vpon the thirde daye it chaunced, that whan she had made an ende of hir prayer, she praysed the LORDE, sayenge: Blessed be thy name O God of oʳ fathers, which whan thou art wroth, shewest mercy, and in the tyme of trouble thou forgeuest the synnes of them, that call vpon the. Vnto the O LORDE turne I my face, vnto the lift I vp myne eyes. I beseke yᵉ O LORDE, lowse me out of the bondes of this rebuke, or els take me vtterly awaye frō of yᵉ earth. Thou knowest LORDE, that I neuer had desyre vnto man, and that I haue kepte my soule cleane from all vnclenly lust. I haue not kepte company with those that passe their tyme in sporte, nether haue I made my self partaker with them that walke in lighte behauoure. Neuertheles an huszbande haue I consented to take, not for my pleasure, but in thy feare.

[D] Now peraduenture either I haue bene vnworthy of them, or els were they vnmete for me, for thou happly hast kepte me to another huszband.⁽²⁾ For why? thy councell is not in yᵉ power of man. But who so euer loueth the and serueth the a right, is sure, that yf his life be tempted and proued, it stādeth in the tryenge: and yf he endure in pacience, he shal haue a rewarde and be hylie crowned: and yf he be in trouble, that God (no doute) shal delyuer him: and yf his life be in chastenynge, that he shall haue leue to come vnto thy mercy.

For thou hast no pleasure in oure dampnacion: & why? after a storme thou makest yᵉ wether fayre and still: after wepinge and heuynes thou geuest greate ioye. Thy name O God of Israel, be praysed for euer. At the same tyme were both their prayers herde in the sight of the magesty of the Hyest God. And Raphael the holy angel of the LORDE was sent to helpe thē both, whose prayers came together before God.

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Psal. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 4

[A] SO whā Tobias thought his prayer to be herde, that he might dye, he called vnto him his sonne Tobias, & sayde vnto him: My sonne, heare the wordes of my mouth, and laye thē in thine hert as a foundacion. Whan God taketh awaye my soule,⁽¹⁾ burie thou my body, & holde thy mother in honoure all the dayes of hir life. For thou oughtest to remembre, what and how greate parels she suffred for yᵉ in hir wōbe. And whā she also hath fulfilled the tyme of hir life, bury her besyde me. Haue God in thy thought all the dayes of thy life, & bewarre, lest at eny tyme thou cōsent vnto synne,⁽²⁾ and lest thou let slippe the commaundemētes of the LORDE oure God.

Geue allmes of thy goodes, and turne neuer [B] thy face from the poore: and so shal it come to passe, that the face of the LORDE shal not be turned awaye from the. Be mercifull after yᵉ power. Yf thou hast moch, geue plēteously: yf thou hast litle, do thy diligence, gladly to geue of that litle. For so gatherest thou thy self a good rewarde in the daye of necessite. For allmes delyuereth ⁽³⁾ frō death, & suffreth not the soule to come in darcknes. A greate comforte is allmes before the hye God, vnto all them that do it.

My sonne, kepe the well from all whordome,⁽⁴⁾ and (besyde thy wife) se that no faute be knowne of the. Let neuer pryde haue rule in thy mynde ner in thy worde,⁽⁵⁾ for in pryde beganne all destruccion.

Who so euer worketh eny thinge for the,[C] immediatly geue him his hyre,⁽⁶⁾ and loke that thy hyred seruaunte wagies remayne not by the ouer night.⁽⁷⁾ Loke that thou neuer do vnto another man, the thinge that thou woldest not another mā shulde do vnto the. Eate thy bred with the hongrie and poore,⁽⁸⁾ and couer the naked with thy clothes. Set thy bred and wyne vpon the buryall of the righteous, and do not thou eate and drynke therof with the synners. Axe euer councell at yᵉ wyse.

Be allwaye thankfull vnto God, and be seke him, that he will ordre thy wayes, & that what: so euer thou deuysest or takest in hande, it maye remayne in him. I certifie the also my sonne, that (whan thou wast yet but a bab) I delyuered ten talentes of syluer vnto Gabelus, at Rages a cite of the Medes,⁽⁹⁾ & his handwritinge haue I by me. And therfore seke some meanes, how thou mayest come by him, & receaue of him yᵉ sayde weight of syluer, and geue him his handwritynge agayne.

My sonne, be not afrayed: trueth it is, we lede here a poore life:⁽¹⁰⁾ but greate good shall we haue, yf we feare God, and departe from all synne, and do well.

Notes to Chapter 4

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ Rom. 6. b

⁽³⁾ Some reader * frō all synne & from d⟨illegible⟩ath.

⁽⁴⁾ 1. Tess. 4. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Gen. 3. a

⁽⁶⁾ Deu. 24. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ Matt. 7. a

⁽⁸⁾ Luc. 14. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁹⁾ Tobi. 1. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ Rom. 8. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 5

THen answered Tobias his father, & [A] sayde: father, all that thou hast commaunded me, wil I do, and that diligently. But how I shal requyre this money, I can not tell. Nether doth he knowe me, ner I him. What token shal I geue him▪ And as for the waye thither, I neuer knew it. Then his father answered him, and sayde: I haue his handwritinge by me, which whan thou shewest him, immediatly he shall paye the. But go thy waye now, & get the some faithfull man to go with yᵉ for an hyre, that thou mayest receaue yᵉ money, whyle I am yet lyuynge.

[B] Then wente Tobias out, & vpon the strete he founde a fayre yonge man stondinge, gyrded vp, and as it were one ready to take his iourney. And he knew not that it was an angell of God, but saluted him, and sayde: From whence art thou, thou good yonge man? He answered: Of the children of Israel.

And Tobias sayde vnto him? knowest thou the waye, that ledeth vnto the countre of yᵉ Medes? He answered: I knowe it well, and all those stretes haue I gone oft tymes, and haue lodged with oure brother Gabelus, that dwelleth in Rages a cite of yᵉ Medes, which lyeth vpon the mount Egabthanis. Tobias sayde vnto him: I praye the, tary for me, tyll I haue tolde my father these thinges. Then wēte Tobias in, and tolde his father all. At yᵉ which his father marueled, & prayed, that he wolde come in vnto him.

[C] Now whan the angell came in, he saluted him, and sayde: ioye be with the for euermore. And olde Tobias saide: what ioye can I haue, that syt here in darcknes, & se not the light of heauen? The yonge man sayde vnto him: Be of good cheare, God shal helpe the shortly. And Tobias sayde vnto him: Canst thou brynge my sonne to Gabelus, vnto the cite of Rages in Media? And whan thou commest agayne, I shal paye the thy hyre. And the angell sayde vnto him: I shal lede thy sonne, and brynge him to the agayne. Then Tobias answered him: Tell me I praye the, of what house, or of what trybe art thou?

The angell Raphael sayde vnto him: Axest thou after the kynred of an hyrelinge, or sekest thou a gyde for thy sonne to go with him? But that I make the not carefull, I am Azarias the sonne of greate Hananias. And Tobias answered: Thou art come of a greate kynred, but I praye yᵉ, be not displeased, that I desyred to knowe thy kynred. The angell sayde vnto him: Thy sonne shal I lede forth safely, and brynge him whole to the agayne.

[D] Then answered Tobias, and sayde: well, go on youre waie, and God be in youre iourney, and his angell beare you company. So whan they had prepared all thinges, yᵗ they wolde take with them in their iourney, Tobias bad his father & his mother fare well, and they wente on their waye both together. Now whan they were gone, his mother beganne to wepe, and sayde:⁽¹⁾ The staff of oure age hast thou taken awaye, and sent him from vs.

Wolde God that money had neuer bene, for the which thou hast sent him awaye. Yf we had bene content wᵗ oʳ pouerte, this had bene greate riches vnto vs, that we sawe oure sonne here. Then sayde Tobias vnto her: wepe not, oure sonne shall come to vs agayne safe and sounde, & thine eyes shall se him. For I trust, that yᵉ good angell of God shal beare him cōpany, and ordre well all the thinges that he doth: so that he shal come to vs agayne with ioye. At these wordes his mother left of frō wepynge, & helde hir tonge.

Notes to Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 6

SO Tobias wente on his waye, and a [A] dogg folowed him, and yᵉ first night they abode by the water of Tigris. Then wente he out to wash his fete, and beholde, there came forth an horrible fish to deuoure him. Of whom Tobias was afrayed, and cried with a loude voyce, sayenge: LORDE, he commeth vpon me. And the angell sayde vnto him: Take him by the cheke blade, and drawe him to the. And he dyd so, and drew him vpō the londe, and the fish beganne to leape at his fete.

Thē sayde the angell vnto him: Take out [B] the bowels of this fish, and as for the hert, the gall and the leuer, kepe them by the. For these thinges are necessary and good for medicyne. Tobias dyd so, and rosted the fish, and they toke him with them in their iourney: the residue they salted, as moch as was sufficient for them, till they came to Rages. Then Tobias axed the angell, and sayde vnto him: I praye yᵉ brother Azarias, tell me, wher to are these thinges good of the fish, that thou hast bydden me kepe?

The angell answered him and sayde: Yf thou layest a pece of the hert vpon the coales, the smoke therof dryueth awaye all maner of euell spretes, whether it be from man or from woman, so that from thence forth yᵉ same shal come nomore vnto them. The gall is good to anoynte or to strake yᵉ eyes withall, where as there is eny blemish in them, so shal they be whole.

And Tobias sayde vnto him: where wilt [C] thou that we remayne?⁽¹⁾ The angell answered and saide: Here is a nye kinsman of thine, one Raguel by name, which hath a daughter called Sara, & hath nether sonne ner daughter but her. All his good belōgeth vnto the, and thou must mary his daughter: and therfore desyre her at her father, and he shal geue her the to wife. Then answered Tobias & sayde: As I vnderstonde, she hath bene maried vnto seuen huszbandes, and they all are deed: and I haue herde saye, that the deuell slew them. I am afrayed therfore, lest soch thinges happen vnto me also: which yf it came to passe (seinge I am the onely sonne of my father and my mother) I shulde brynge thē in their age wᵗ sorow to their graues.

[D] Then sayde yᵉ angell Raphael vnto him: Heare me, and I will tell the, what they be of whom the deuell hath power. Namely, they that receaue mariage of soch a fashiō, that they shut God out from thē and from their hert,⁽²⁾ and geue them selues to their owne lust, euen as it were an horse and Moole, which haue no vnderstondinge: vpon soch hath yᵉ deuell power. But whan thou takest her, and art come in to the chamber, witholde thy self from her thre dayes, and geue thy diligence vnto nothinge but vnto prayer with her.⁽³⁾

And in the first night rost the leuer of the fish, and the deuell shalbe dryuē awaye. The secōde night shalt thou be receaued in to the company of the holy patriarkes. The thirde night shalt thou opteyne the blessinge of God, so that whole children shalbe borne of you. After the thirde night take the mayden in the feare of God, and more for the desyre of children, then for eny fleshly lust: that in the sede of Abraham thou mayest optayne the blessinge in children.

Notes to Chapter 6

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ess. 4. a ⟨illegible⟩ b

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩obi. 8. b

Chapter 7

[A] THen wente they in to Raguel, which receaued them ioyfully. And whan Raguel loked vpon Tobias, he sayde vnto Anna his wife: How like is this yonge man vnto my sisters sonne. And whan he had spoken this, he saide: whence be ye good brethren? They saide: Of the trybe of Nephtali, out of the captiuyte of Niniue. Then sayde Raguel vnto them: knowe ye my brother Tobias? They saide: yee, we knowe him well. And whan he had spoken moch good of him, the angell sayde vnto Raguel: Tobias of whom thou axest, is this yonge mās father. Then Raguel bowed him self downe, and wepte, toke him aboute the neck and kyssed him,⁽¹⁾ and sayde: Gods blessynge haue thou my sonne, for thou art the sonne of a good vertuous man. And Anna his wyfe and Sara his daughter wepte also.

Now whā they had talked together, Raguel [B] bad kyll a wether, and to make a feast. And whā he prayed thē to sytt downe to dyner, Tobias sayde: I wil nether eate ner drinke here this daye, excepte thou first graunte me my peticion, & promyse me to geue me thy daughter Sara. Whan Raguel herde this, he was astonnyed, for he knew, what had happened vnto the other seuen men, that wēte in vnto her: and he begannne to feare that it shulde chaunce vnto him also in like maner.

And whyle he stode so in doute, and gaue the yonge man no answere, the angell sayde vnto him: Feare not to geue him thy daughter, for vnto this man that feareth God, belōgeth thy daughter to wife, therfore might none other haue her.

Thē sayde Raguel: I doute not, but God [C] hath accepted my prayers and teares in his sight: and I trust he caused you to come vnto me for the same intent, that this daughter of myne might be maried in hir owne kynred, acordinge to the lawe of Moses. And now dowte thou not,⁽²⁾ but I wil geue her vnto the: So he toke the righthande of his daughter, and gaue her in to the right hāde of Tobias, and sayde: The God of Abrahā, the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob be with you, ioyne you together, and fulfill his blessynge in you. And they toke a letter and made a wrytinge of the mariage. And then made they mery, and praysed God. And Raguel called Anna his wife vnto him, and bad her prepare another chamber, and thither he brought Sara his daughter, and she wepte. Then sayde he vnto her: Be of good cheare my daughter, the LORDE of heauen geue the ioye, for the heuynesse that thou hast suffred.

Notes to Chapter 7

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩obi. 9. b

⁽²⁾ Tob. 6

Chapter 8

NOw after yᵗ they had supped, they [A] brought the yōge man in to her. Thē thought Tobias vpon the wordes of the angell, and toke out of his bagg a pece of the leuer of the fish, and layed it vpon the hote coales. So the angell Raphael toke holde of the deuell, and sent him awaye, and bounde him in the wyldernes of the hyer Egipte. Thē spake Tobias vnto the virgin, and sayde: Vp Sara, let vs make oure prayer vnto God to daye, tomorow,⁽¹⁾ and ouermorow: for these thre nightes wil we reconcyle oure selues with God: and whan the thirde holy night is past, we shall ioyne together in yᵉ deutye of mariage. For we are the children of holy men, and we maye not come together as the Heithen, yᵗ knowe not God.

[B] Then stode they vp both together, and be sought God earnestly,⁽²⁾ yᵗ he wolde preserue them. And Tobias sayde: O LORDE God of o fathers, praysed be thou of heauē & earth of the see, welles, & floudes, & of all the crea, tures that be therin. Thou maydest Adam of the moulde of the earth,⁽³⁾ & gauest him Eua for an helper. And now LORDE thou knowest that it is not because of voluptuousnes, that I take this sister of myne to wyfe, but onely for the loue of childen, in whom thy name be blessed for euer. And Sara sayde: haue mercy vpon vs (O LORDE) haue mercy vpon vs, and let vs both come whole and sounde to a good age.

[C] And aboute the cocke crowe, it happened, that Raguel called his seruauntes, and they wēte with him, to make a graue. For he sayde: it is chaunced vnto him peraduēture, as it dyd vnto the other seuen men, that wente in vnto her. Now whā they had made the graue, Raguel came agayne to his wyfe, and sayde vnto her: sende one of thy maydēs, to loke yf he be deed, that I maye burye him afore it be light daye.

So she sent a mayden to se, which whan she came in to the chamber, she founde them whole and sounde, slepynge together. And so she came agayne, & brought good tydinges. [D] Then Raguel and Anna his wife praysed yᵉ LORDE, and sayde: Praysed be thou o LORDE God of Israel, For it is not happened vnto vs, as we thought. For thou hast dealte mercifully with vs, and put awaye from vs the enemye that persecuted vs, and hast shewed mercy vnto yonder two beloued. O LORDE, cause thē to magnifie the more perfectly, and to offre the the sacrifice of thy prayse, and of their health: that all people maye knowe, yᵗ thou onely art God in all the earth.

[E] And immediatly Raguel commaunded his seruauntes, to fyll the graue, that they had made, with earth, afore it was light: and bade his wife prepare a feast, & to make ready all thinges that were necessary for meate, to soch as wente by yᵉ waye. He caused two fatt kyne also and foure wethers to be slayne, & meates to be prepared for all his neghbours and frendes.

And Raguel charged Tobias, to remayne with him two wekes. As for all the good yᵗ he had, he gaue Tobias yᵉ one half of it, and made this wrytinge, that the half which remayned, shulde fall vnto Tobias after their death.

Notes to Chapter 8

⁽¹⁾ 1. Cor. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 6. d

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 2. b

Chapter 9

THen Tobias called vnto him the angell,[A] whom he thought to haue bene a man, and sayde vnto him. Brother Azarias, I praye the herkē vnto my wordes: Yf I shulde geue myself to be yᵉ seruaunt, I shal not deserue yᵉ prouydence. Neuertheles I beseke the, that thou wylt take the beastes and the seruauntes, and go vnto Gabelus in Rages the cite of the Meedes, and delyuer him his handwrytinge, and receaue the money of him, and praye him to come to my mariage. For thou knowest thy self, that my father telleth yᵉ dayes: and yf I tary one daye to longe, he wyl be sory in his mynde. Now seist thou how earnestly Raguel hath requyred me, so that I can not saye him nay.

Then toke Raphael foure of Raguels seruauntes, and two Camels, & wente vnto Rages the cite of the Medes: and whan he had founde Gabelus, he gaue him his handwrytynge, & receaued all yᵉ money. He tolde him also of Tobias yᵉ sonne of Toby, how all thīges had happened, & caused him to come wᵗ him to yᵉ mariage. Now whan he came in to [B] the house of Raguel, he foūde Tobias syttinge at yᵉ table: & he leape vp, & they kyssed one another, and Gabelus wepte, and praysed God, and sayde: the blessynge of the God of Israel haue thou,⁽¹⁾ for thou art the sonne of a right verteous & iust man, & of one yᵗ feareth God, & geueth greate allmes. And blessynge haue yᵉ wife, and yoʳ elders, that ye maye se yoʳ children, and youre childers childrē, vnto the thirde and fourth generaciō, and that youre sede maye be blessed of yᵉ God of Israel, which reigneth worlde without ende. And whan they all had sayde Amen, they wente to the feast, but with the feare of the LORDE helde they the feast of the mariage.

Notes to Chapter 9

⁽¹⁾ Tob. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 10

NOw whyle yōge Tobias made lōge [A] tarienge by reason of yᵉ mariage, his father was full of care and heuynes, and thought: what shulde be the cause, that my sonne tarieth so longe? Or why shulde he be kepte so longe there? Peraduenture Gabelus is deed, and no man wyl geue him the money. Thus begāne he to be very soroufull, he & Anna his wife with him, & beganne to wepe both together, because their sonne was not come agayne vnto them at the daye appoynted. As for his mother, she wepte with discomfortable teares, and sayde: Wo is me, my sonne: Oh what ayled vs to sende the awaye into a straunge countre, thou light of oure eyes, thou staff of oure age,⁽¹⁾ thou comforte of oure life, thou hope of oure generacion? Seinge all yᵉ thinges that we haue are onely in the, we shulde not haue sent the awaye from vs.

[B] Then Tobias comforted her, and sayde: holde thy tonge, and be not discomforted, oure sonne is whole and sounde: the man yᵗ we sent him withall, is faithfull ynough. Neuertheles she might in no wyse be cōforted: but daylie wente out, loked aboute, and wente aboute all the stretes, wherby she thought he shulde come againe: that (yf it were possible) she might se him cōmynge afarre of.

But Raguel saide vnto his sonne ī lawe: O tary here, and I shall sende a messaūger vnto thy father Tobias, to tell him yᵗ thou art in good health. Tobias sayde vnto him: I am sure, that my father and my mother counte euery daye, and that their hertes are sory.

[C] So whan Raguel prayed Tobias wᵗ many wordes, & he wolde in no wyse heare him, he delyuered Sara vnto him, & the half parte of all his good: in seruauntes and handmaydēs, in shepe, in camels, and in kyne and moch money, and so sent him awaye from him with peace and ioye, and sayde: The holy angell of the LORDE be with you in youre iourney, and brynge you forth safe & sounde, that ye maye fynde all thinges in good case with youre elders, and that myne eyes maye se youre children, afore I dye.

So the elders enbraced their daughter, kyssed her, and let her go, exortinge her to honoure hir father and mother in lawe, to loue hir huszbande, to rule well hir huszsholde, to kepe hir house in good ordre, and to shew hir self fautlesse.

Notes to Chapter 10

⁽¹⁾ Tob ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 11

[A] NOw as they were goinge homewarde againe, vpon yᵉ xj. daye they came to Charra, which lyeth in the half waye towarde Niniue. And the angell sayde: Brother Tobias, thou knowest how thou hast left thy father: therfore yf it please the, we two wyll go before, and let the husholde with thy wife and yᵉ catell come soft & fayrly after vs. And whan Tobias was content that they shulde go before, Raphael sayde vnto him: Take of the gall of the fish with the, for it shal be necessary. So Tobias toke of the gall, and they wente their waye. But Anna the mother of Tobias sat daylie by the waye syde vpon yᵉ toppe of an hill, from whence she might se farre aboute her.

[B] And whyle she was waytinge there for his cōmynge, she loked a farre of, and anone she perceaued hir sonne comminge, and ranne and tolde hir buszbande, sayenge: beholde, thy sonne commeth. And Raphael sayde vnto Tobias: As soone as thou commest in to the house, immediatly worshipe the LORDE thy God, and geue thankes vnto him: then go to thy father, and kysse him, & strake his eyes ouer wᵗ the gall of yᵉ fish, that thou hast brought with the. For be sure, that his eyes shal straight waye be opened, and thy father shal se the light of heauen, and shal reioyse at the sight of the. Then the dogg that had bene with them in their iourney, rāne before, and came as a messaūger, and wagged with his tayle for gladnesse.

So yᵉ blynde father arose, and beganne to [C] renne, and stombled with his fete, and gaue a seruaunt his hande, ranne to mete his sonne, receaued him, and kyssed him, he and his wife, and beganne to wepe for ioye.

Now whan they had worshipped & thanked God, they satt downe. Then toke Tobias of the fishes gall, and anoynted his fathers eyes: and taried half an houre, and then beganne the blemysh to go out of his eyes, like as it had bene the whyte szkynne of an egg: which Tobias toke and drew from his eyes, and immediatly he receaued his sight.

Then they praysed God, he and his wife,[D] and all they that knew him. And Tobias sayde: O LORDE God of Israel, I geue the prayse and thankes, for thou hast chastened me, and made me whole. And lo, now do I se my sonne Tobias. After seuen dayes came Sara his sonnes wife also whole and sounde with all yᵉ housholde and catell, with camels and moch money of his wyues, and with the money that he had receaued of Gabelus: and he tolde his father and his mother all the benefites, which God had done for him, by the man that led him. Achior also and Nabath Tobias sister sonnes came and were glad, & reioysed with him, by reason of all the good that God had shewed vnto him.

And so for yᵉ space of seuen dayes they made mery, and were right ioyfull euerichone.

Chapter 12

THē Tobias called his sonne vnto him [A] & sayde: What maye we geue this holy man, that wente with the? Tobias answered his father and sayde: Father, what rewarde shal we geue him? Or what thinge can deserue his benefites? He hath bene my gyde, and brought me safe agayne: he receaued the money from Gabelus, he caused me to get my wife, he droue the euell sprete from her, he hath bene occasiō of gladnesse to hir father and mother: he delyuered me, that I was not deuoured of the fish, he hath made the to se the light of heauen, yee we all haue receaued greate good of him. How shulde we worthely deserue these thinges vnto him? But I praye the my father, that thou wilt desyre him, yf happlie he wil voutsafe, to take with him the half of all that we haue brought.

[B] So the father and the sonne called him, toke him asyde, and beganne to praye him, that he wolde be content to take in good worth, the half parte of all that they had brought. Then sayde he secretly vnto them: Prayse yᵉ God of heauen, and geue thankes vnto him before all men lyuynge, for he hath shewed his mercy ⁽¹⁾ vnto vs. It is good to hyde the Kynges secrete, but to shew and to prayse yᵉ workes of God, it is an honorable thinge. Prayer is good with fastinge, and to geue allmes is better, then to hoorde vp treasures of golde.⁽²⁾ For allmes delyuereth from death, clenseth synne, and causeth to fynde euerlastinge life, But they that do synne and vnrighteousnes, are yᵉ enemies of their owne soules.

[C] Wherfore I tell you the trueth, and wyll hyde nothinge from you.⁽³⁾ Whan thou praydest with teares, and burydest the deed, and leftest thy dyner, and hyddest the deed in thy house vpon the daye tyme, that thou mightest burye them in the night, I offred thy prayer before the LORDE. And because thou wast accepte and beloued of God, it was necessary, that tentacion shulde trye the. And now hath the LORDE sent me to heale the,⁽⁴⁾ and to delyuer Sara yᵉ sonnes wife from the euell sprete. For I am Raphael an angell, one of the seuen that stonde before God.

[D] Whā they herde this, they were sore afrayed, and trembled, and fell downe vpon their faces vnto the grounde. Then sayde the angell: Peace be with you, feare not. Where as I haue bene wᵗ you, it is the will of God, geue prayse and thankes vnto him.

You thought that I dyd eate and drinke with you,⁽⁵⁾ but I vse meate that is invisible, and drynke that can not be sene of men.

Now therfore is yᵉ tyme that I must turne agayne, vnto him that sent me: but be ye thankfull vnto God, and tell out all his wonderous workes.

And whan he had spoken these wordes, he was taken awaye out of their sight, so yᵗ they sawe him nomore. Then fell they downe flat vpon their faces by the space of thre houres, and praysed God: and whan they rose vp, they tolde all his wōderous workes.

Notes to Chapter 12

⁽¹⁾ Some rede * vnto you.

⁽²⁾ Tob. 4. b Dani. 4. d

⁽³⁾ Tob. 2. a

⁽⁴⁾ Prou. 3. b

⁽⁵⁾ Gen. 18. a and 19. a Iud. 13. c

Chapter 13

Then XIII. Chapter.

THen olde Tobias opened his mouth,[A] and praysed the LORDE and sayde: Greate art thou o LORDE for euermore, and thy kyngdome worlde without ende: for thou scourgest and healest,⁽¹⁾ thou ledest vnto hell, and bryngest out agayne, and there is none yᵗ maye escape thy hande. O geue thankes vnto yᵉ LORDE ye children, of Israel, and prayse him in the sight of the Heithē. For amonge the Heithen which knowe him not hath he scatred you, to the intēt that ye shulde shew forth his maruelous workes: & cause them for to knowe, that there is none other God allmightie but he. He hath chastened vs for oure myszdedes, and for his owne mercy sake shal he saue vs.

Considre then, how he hath dealt wᵗ you, & prayse him with feare and drede, and magnifie the euerlastinge kynge in yoʳ workes.

I wil prayse him euen in the londe of my [B] captiuyte, for he hath shewed his maiesty vnto a synfull people. Turne you therfore O ye synners, and do righteousnes before God, and be ye sure, that he wyl shew his mercy vpon you. As for me & my soule, we wil reioyse in God. O prayse the LORDE all ye his chosen, holde the dayes of gladnesse, and be thankfull vnto him.⁽²⁾ O Ierusalem thou cite of God, the LORDE hath punyshed the for the workes of thine owne handes. O prayse the LORDE in thy good thinges, & geue thankes to the euerlastinge God, that he maye builde vp his tabernacle agayne in yᵉ, that he maye call agayne vnto the, all soch as be in captiuyte, and that thou mayest haue ioye for euermore. With a fayre light shalt thou shyne, & all yᵉ endes of yᵉ worlde shal honoure the.⁽³⁾ The people shal come vnto the from farre,⁽⁴⁾ they shal bringe giftes, and worshipe yᵉ LORDE in the, and thy londe shal they haue for a Sanctuary, for they shal call vpon the greate name in the.

Cursed shal they be that despyse the, & all they that blaspheme the, shal be condēpned:[C] but blessed shal they be, yᵗ buylde the vp. As for the, thou shalt reioyse in yⁱ childrē, for they all shalbe blessed, and gathered together vnto the LORDE. Blessed are they all yᵗ loue yᵉ, and be glad of thy peace. Prayse thou the LORDE o my soule, for the LORDE oure God hath delyuered his cite Ierusalem from all hir troubles. I wil counte my self happie, yf my sede remayne to se yᵉ clearnes of Ierusalē.

The gates of Ierusalem shalbe buylded with Saphyre and Smaragde, and all the cōpase of hir walles with precious stones.⁽⁵⁾ All hir stretes shalbe paued wᵗ whyte Marblestone, and in all hir stretes shal Alleluya be sunge. Praysed be yᵉ LORDE, which hath exalted her, yᵗ his kyngdome maye be vpon her for euermore, Amen. And so Tobias made an ende of his talkynge.

Notes to Chapter 13

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 14

[A] ANd after that Tobias had gottē his sight agayne,⁽¹⁾ he lyued two and xl. yeares, & sawe his childers children. Now whan he was an hundreth and two yeare olde, he dyed, & was buried honorably in Niniue. For whan he was sixe and fiftie yeares of age, he lost the sight of his eyes, and whā he was thre score yeare olde, he gat his sight agayne. The residue of his life led he in ioye, and increased well in the feare of God, & departed in peace.

[B] But in yᵉ houre of his death he called vnto him his sonne Tobias, & seuen yonge springaldes his sonnes children, and sayde vnto them: The destruccion of Niniue is at hande,⁽²⁾ for the worde of the LORDE can not fayle, and oure brethren that are scatred out of the londe of Israel, shal come thither agayne. And the whole londe of it that hath bene waist,⁽³⁾ shalbe fylled: and the house of God that was brent in it, shalbe buylded againe, & all soch as feare God shall returne thither: the Heithen also shal forsake their Idols, & come to Ierusalem, and dwell there, and all the kynges of the earth shalbe glad of her, and worshipe the LORDE God of Israel.

[C] And therfore my children, heare youre father:⁽⁴⁾ Serue the LORDE in faithfulnes, seke after his will, and do the thinge that pleaseth him. Commaunde youre children yᵗ they do right, geue allmes, be myndefull of God, and euer to be thankfull vnto him in trueth and with all their power. Heare me therfore my childrē, and abyde not here: but in what daye so euer ye haue buried youre mother besyde me, gett you from hence. For I se, that the wickednes of it shal brynge it to destruccion and ende.

[D] After yᵉ death of his mother, Tobias departed awaye from Niniue, with his wife and children, and with his childers children, & came agayne to his father and mother in lawe, and founde them whole and in a good age, and toke the care of thē. And he closed their eyes, and was heyre vnto all Raguels goodes, and sawe the fifth generacion and childers childrē. And whan he was xcix. yeare of age, he dyed in the feare of the LORDE, and his kynsfolkes buried him. And all his posterite continued in a good life, and holy conuersacion: so that they were loued & accepted both of God and men, and of all the people of the londe.

Notes to Chapter 14

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 42. c ⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 23 ⟨illegible⟩ c

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

The ende of the boke of Tobias.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

3 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 50 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (0 in the text, 50 in the marginal notes).

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