1. THE book of the words of Tobit, the son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asiel, of the tribe of Naphtali;
2. who in the days of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was carried away captive out of Thisbe, which is on the right hand of Kedesh Naphtali in Galilee above Asher.
3. I Tobit walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I did many alms deeds to my brethren and my nation, who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nineveh.
4. And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Israel, while I was yet young, all the tribe of Naphtali my father fell away from the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, and the temple of the habitation of the Most High was hallowed and built therein for all ages.
5. And all the tribes which fell away together sacrificed to the heifer Baal, and so did the house of Naphtali my father.
6. And I alone went often to Jerusalem at the feasts, as it has been ordained to all Israel by an everlasting decree, having the first fruits and the tenths of mine increase, and that which was first shorn; and I gave them at the altar to the priests the sons of Aaron.
7. The tenth part of all mine increase I gave to the sons of Levi, who ministered at Jerusalem: and the second tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it each year at Jerusalem:
8. and the third I gave to them to whom it was meet, as Deborah my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father.
9. And when I became a man, I took as wife Anna of the seed of our own family, and of her I became the father of Tobias.
10. And when I was carried away captive to Nineveh, all my brethren and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles:
11. but I kept myself from eating,
12. because I remembered God with all my soul.
13. And the Most High gave me grace and favor in the sight of Enemessar, and I was his purveyor.