The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

❧ Here be ginneth the Booke of Tobias.

¶ Tobias beynge taken prysoner, forsaketh not the lawe of truthe. The mercy and charyte of Tobias and the maners of him in his youth. He taketh Hannah to wyfe. by whome he hath a sonne named Tobias. He succoureth Gabel with mo¦ney. He and his are fayne to flye, but after the death of Den∣naherib they returne agayne.

CAPI. I.

TObias was of the try [unspec A] be & cite of Nepthali, which lieth in y^• hye coūtres of Galile aboue Naason the way towarde y^• west, hauīg the cytie of Sephet vpon the lefte syde.

Thoughe he was taken presonerin the dayes of Salmanasar kyng of the Assyryās neuerthelesse beyng in captiuite, he forsoke not the waye of trueth: In so muche y^• what soeuer he myght ger / he parted it dayly with his felowes presoners & brethren / that were of his kynred. And thoughe he were yonger then all in the tribe of Nepthali, yet dyd not he behaue him selfe childeshly in his workes And when al the other went to y^• golden cal∣ues, which Ieroboā the kyng of Israel had made he him self alone fled al their cōpanies & gat him to Ierusalem vnto y^• temple of the Lorde, & there worshypped y^• Lorde God of Israell, faythfully offerynge of all his fyrste frutes & tythes, so that in the thyrde yeare he ministred al the tythes vnto the straungers & conuertes. These & suche lyke thinges dyd he obserue accordyng to the law of God, whē he was yet but yonge.

But when he was a mā, he toke out of his [unspec B] owne tribe a wife called Anna, & of her he be gat a sōne, whom he called after his owne na¦me, & taught hī from his youth vp / to feare God, & to refrayne from all synne.

Nowe when he with his wyfe, hys sonne and with all his kynred was come in capti∣uite vnto the cytie of Niniue / what tyme as they al dyd eate of the meates of the Heathē / he kept his his soule / and was neuer defyled in theyr meates. And for so muche as he was myndeful of the Lorde in al his herte. God gaue him fauoure in the syght of Salmana far the kynge / whiche gaue him power to go where he wolde, and so had he lybertie to do whatsoeuer him lyst.

So wente Tobias vnto all them y^• were [unspec C] in preson, and comforted them and, gaue thē wholsome exortacions. And whan he came

to Rages a citie of the Medes, hauynge ten talētes of syluer (of the thynges where with the kyng had honoured him) & sawe among a greate company of people of his kynred / one Gabelus (which was of his owne tribe) beyng in necessite, he gaue hī the said weight of syluer vnder an hand wrytyng.

After a longe season when Salmanasar the kynge was deed, and Sennaherib hys sonne reigned in his steade, which hated the chyldren of Israel, Tobias went dayly tho∣rowe out al his kynred / and comforted thē, & gaue of hys goodes to euery one of them / as much as he myght: he fed the hongrie, clo¦thed the naked, & buried the dead and slayne and that diligently.

And when Sennaherib the kynge came [unspec D] agayne and fled out of Iewry (what tyme as God punysshed him for his blasphemy) and in his wrath slew many of the chyldren of Is¦rael. Tobias buried their bodies. But when it was tolde the kyng, he cōmannded to fleye him / and toke awaye all his goodes. Ne∣uertheles, Tobias with hys sonne and with hys wyfe fled hys way and was hyd naked / for there were many that loued hym. But after. xlv. dayes the kynge was slayne of his owne sonnes. Then came Tobias agayne to his house, & all his goodes were restored vnto hym.

¶ Tobias byddeth suche of hys frendes as feare God, to a Ban••quet or Feaste. He is reproued of hys frendes He feareth God more then the Kyng He becommeth blynde by the permyssyon and sufferaunce of God, Hys kynsfolckes mocke hym.

CAPI. II.

AFter these thynges vpon a solempne [unspec A] day of the Lorde Tobias made a good feast in his house / and sayde vnto his sonne: Go thy way & bryng hither some of our tribe suche as feare God, that they may make me¦ry with vs. And when he was gone / he came agayne / and tolde his father / that one of the chyldren of Israel lay slayne vpon the strete And immediately he leapte from his table / left the feast / came fasting to the deed coarse, toke him & bare him preuely into his house / that when the Sunne was downe / he might safely burye hym. And when he had hyd the coarse / he dyd eate hys meate with mour∣nyng and feare / remembrynge the wordes / that the Lord sayde by the Prophete Amos: your hye feastes shalbe turned to sorow and heuynesse.

But when the Sunne was downe, he [unspec B] wente his waye and buryed him: Thē al his neyghbours reproued him sayeng: It is not longe / sens it was commaunded to sleye the because of this matter, and hast scarce esca∣ped the daunger of death / and buriest thou the deed agayne? Neuertheles Tobias fea∣rynge God more then the kyng / toke the bo¦dyes of the slayne / and hyd thē in his house / and buried them at mydnyght.

It happened vpon a day, that he had bu¦ried [unspec C] y^• deed, & was wery, came home, & layed him downe by the wall & slepte. And whyle he was a slepe / there fell downe vpon his eyes warme dong out of the swalowes nest / so that he was blinde. This temptacion dyd God suffre to happen vnto hym / that they whiche came after, myght haue an exāple of his pacience, lyke as of holy Iob. For in so muche as he euer fered God from hys youth vp / & kepte his commaundementes, he grud¦ged not agaynst God, that y^• plage of blynd¦nes chaunsed vnto him / but remayned sted∣fast in the feare of God, & thāked God, al the dayes of his lyfe.

For lyke as blessed Iob was had in dery∣sion [unspec D] of kynges, euen so was he laughed to scorne of his elders and kynsfolckes, whiche sayde vnto him: where is thy hope / for the which thou hast done almes and buryed the deed? But Tobias rebuked them / & spake: Saye not so / for we are the chyldren of holy men / and loke for the lyfe, whiche God shall geue vnto them / that neuer turne theyr bele¦ue from him. Anna hys wyfe wente dayly to the weeuynge worcke: & loke what lyuynge she coulde get with the labour of her hādes / she brought it. And it happened y^• she toke a kyd and brought it home.

And when her husbande herde it crye / he sayd: loke y^• it be not stollē / restore it agayne to the owners: for it is not lawful for vs / to eate or to touch any thynge of theft. Then was his wyfe angrie, and sayde: Now is thy hope become vayne openly / and thy almes dedes are manyfest. With these & suche lyke wordes dyd she cast him in the tethe.

¶ The prayer of Tobias. Sara the daughter of Raguel is sclaundred of her fathers seruaunt. The prayer and fastyng of Sara. And also the innocēcy and chastyte of her. The pray¦ers of Tobias and of Sara are herde.

CAPI. III.

THen Tobias toke it heuely / and with [unspec A] teares beganne to make his prayer, say¦enge: O Lorde thou arte ryghtuous, and all thy iudgementes are true, yee all thy wayes are mercy, faythfulnes and iudgement. And nowe O Lorde be myndeful of me, and take no vengeaunce of my sinnes, nether remēbre my mysdedes, nether the misdedes of my el∣ders For we haue nat bene obediēt vnto thy commaundementes, therfore are we spoyled

brought into captiuite, into death / into deri¦sion & shame vnto al naciōs, among whom thou hast scatred vs. And nowe O Lord, thy iudgementes are great, for we haue not done accordyng to thy commaundemētes, nether haue we walcked innocently before the. And nowe O Lorde, deale with me accordyng to thy wyll / and commaunde my sprete to be re¦ceyued in peace, for more expedyente were it for me to dye / then to lyue.

At the same tyme it happened / that Sara [unspec B] the daughter of Raguel at Rages a cytie of the Medes was sclaundred of one of her fa∣thers handmaydes, namely / that she shulde haue had seuen husbandes, whiche as sone as they were gone in vnto her, were slayne of y^• deuyll called Asmodeus. Therfore, whē she reproued the maydē for her faute / she an¦swered her / saying: God let vs neuer se sōne nor daughter of the more vpon earthe / thou kyller of thy husbandes. Wylt thou sleye me also, as thou hast slayne seuen men? At thys voyce wente Sara into an hye chambre of her house, and thre dayes and thre nyghtes she neither eate nor drancke, but cōtinued in prayer, and besought God with teares / that he wolde delyuer her from thys rebuke.

Upon the thyrde day it chaunced, y^• when [unspec C] she had made an ende of her prayer, she pray¦sed the Lord saying: Blessed be thy name O God of our fathers / whiche when thou arte wrothe, shewest mercy, & in tyme of trouble thou forgeuest the synnes of them, that call vpon the. Unto the O Lorde turne I my fa∣ce / vnto the lyft I vp myne eyes. I beseche the O Lorde / lose me out of the bondes of thys rebuke / or els take me vtterly awaye from of the earthe. Thou knowest Lorde / y^• I neuer had desyre vnto man, and that I haue kepte my soule cleane from al vnclenly lust. I haue not kepte company with those that passe theyr tyme in sporte, neyther haue I made my self partaker with thē that walke in lyght behauour. Neuertheles an husbāde haue I cōsented to take / not for my pleasure but in thy feare.

Now peraduēture eyther I haue bene vn¦worthy [unspec D] of them / or els were they v••mete for me, for thou happly hast kept me to another husbande. For why? thy councel is not in the power of man. But whosoeuer loueth the & serueth the a ryght / is sure of thys / that yf his lyfe be tempted and proued / it standeth in the ••ryeng / and yf he endure in pacyence / he shall haue a rewarde and be hyghly crow¦ned: and yf he be in trouble / that God (no doute) shall delyuer hym: and yf his lyfe be in chastenyng, that he shal haue leue to come vnto thy mercy.

For thou hast no pleasure in our dampna¦cyon: and why? after a storme thou makeste the wether fayre and styll: after wepyng 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 maiesty of the hyest god. And Raphael the holy Angell of the Lorde was sent to helpe them both, whose prayers came at one tyme together before God.

CAPI. IIII.

[unspec A]

¶ Tobias thynckynge to dye geueth a goodly exhortacyon and monycion to his sonne.

SO when Tobias thought hys prayer to be herde / that he myght dye / he called vn¦to hym his sonne Tobias and sayde vnto him: My sōne, heare the wordes of my mouth and lay them in thyne herte as a foundacion When God taketh awaye my soule, burye thou my bodye and holde thy mother in ho∣nour al the dayes of her lyfe. For thou ough¦test to remēbre, what and howe great parels she suffered for the in her wombe. And when she also hathe fulfylled the tyme of her lyfe / bury her beside me. Haue god in thy thought all the dayes of thy lyfe, and beware / least at any tyme thou consente vnto synne, and lest thou let slyppe the cōmaundementes of the Lorde our God.

Geue almes of thy goodes, and turne ne∣uer [unspec B] thy face from the poore: & so shal it come to passe, that y^• face of the Lorde shall not be turned awaye from the. Be mercyfull after thy power. If thou hast much, geue plentu∣ously: yf thou hast lytle / do thy diligēce, glad¦ly to geue of that litle. For so gatherest y^• thy selfe a good rewarde in the day of necessyte. For mercy delyuereth from all synne & from death, & suffreth not the soule to come in dar∣kenes. A great cōfort is mercy before the hie God / vnto all them that shewe it.

My sonne / kepe the well from all whor∣dome, [unspec C] and (be syde thy wyfe) se that no faute be knowne of y^•. Let neuer pryde haue rule in thy mynde nor in thy worde / for in pryde beganne all destruccyon.

Whosoeuer worketh any thinge for the / immediatly geue him his hire, and loke that thy hired seruaūtes wages remayne not by the ouer night. Loke that thou neuer do vn∣to another man / the thynge that thou wol∣dest not another man shulde do vnto y^•. Eate thy bred with the hongrye & poore / & couer the naked with thy clothes. Set thy bredde and wyne vpon the burial of the righteous▪

and do not thou eate & dryncke therof w^t the synnees. Aske euer councel at the wyse.

Be alwaye thanckefull vnto God / and beseche him / that he wyll ordre thy wayes / & y^• whatsoeuer y^• deuysest or takest in hand / it may remayne in him. I certyfie the also my sōne, y^• (when thou wast yet, but a babe) I de¦lyuered ten talētes of syluer vnto Gabelus, at Rages a citie of the Medes, & hys hande wryttynge haue I by me. And therfore seke some meanes, how y^• mayest come by hym / & receyue of him the sayde weyght of syluer / & geue him his handwrytyng agayne.

My sonne, be not afraied: trueth it is we leade here a poore lyfe: but greate good shal we haue / yt we feare God, and departe from all synne / and do well:

¶ The obedyence of yonge Tobias to his father, whiche is sent into Rages. An Aungell accompanyeth with hym in his iourney.

CAPI. V.

THEN answered Tobias his father / [unspec A] and sayde: father / all that thou hast cō∣maunded me, wyl I do / and that diligently But howe I shall require this money I can¦not tell? Neyther bothe he knowe me, nor I him What token shall I geue him? And as for the way thyther / I neuer knewe it. Then his father answerd hym, and sayde: I haue his hande wrytyng by me, which when thou shewest hym, immediately he shall paye the But go thy way now / and get the some faith¦ful man to go with the for an hyre / that thou mayest receyue the money / whyle I am yet lyuynge. Then went Tobias out, and vpon the strete he founde a fayre yonge man stan∣dyng, gyrded vp / and as it were one readye to take his iourney. And he knewe not that it was an Angell of God / but saluted hym / and sayde: From whēce art thou / thou good yonge man? He aunswered: Of the chyldren of Israel.

And Tobias sayde vnto hym? knowest y^• [unspec B] the waye, that ledeth vnto the countre of the Medes? He answered: I knowe it well / and all those stretes haue I gone oft tymes, and haue lodged with our brother Gabel{us} / that dwelleth in Rages a citye of the Medes / whiche lyeth vpon the mounte Egabthanis Tobias sayd vnto him: I praye the / tary for me, tyl I haue tolde my father these thinges Then went Tobias in▪ & tolde his father al▪ At the which his father maruelled / & prayed that he wolde come in vnto him.

Nowe whē the Angel came in / he saluted him, and sayd: Ioye be with y^• foreuer more. [unspec C] And olde Tobias sayd: what ioy can I haue that sit here in darkenes, & se not the light of heauē? The yonge man sayde vnto him: Be of good cheare / God shall helpe the shortly. And Tobias sayd vnto him: Canst y^u bryng my sonne to Gabelus / vnto the cytie of Ra∣ges in Medea? And when y^• cōmest agayne / I shall paye the thy hyre. And the Aungell sayde vnto him: I shall leade thy sonne / and brynge him to the agayne. Thē Tobias an∣swered him, tell me I praye y^• / of what house or of what trybe arte thou? The Angell Ra∣phael sayde vnto him: Askest thou after the kynred of an hyrelyng / or sekest thou a gyde for thy sonne to go with hym? But that I make the not carefull, I am Azarias y^• sōne of great Hananias. And Tobias answered: thou art come of a great kynred: but I praye the, be not displesed / that I desyred to know thy kynred. The Angel sayde vnto him: thy sonne shall I leade forth safely, & bryng him whole to the agayne.

Then answered Tobias, and sayde: wel, [unspec D] go on your way, & God be in your iourney, & his angel beare you company. So whē they had prepared all thynges, y^• they wolde take w^t them in theyr iourney: Tobias bad his fa¦ther & his mother farewel, and they wēte on theyr way both together. Nowe when they were gone: his mother beganne to wepe, & sayde: The staffe of our age hast thou taken away, & sent hym from vs.

Wolde God that money had neuer bene, for the whiche thou hast sent hym awaye. If we had bene content with our pouerte, thys had bene great ryches vnto vs / that we saw our sōne here. Then saide Tobias vnto her: wepe not, oure sōne shall come to vs agayne safe & sounde, & thine eyes shal se him. For I trust, that the good Angel of God shal beare him cōpany, & ordre wel all the thynges that he dothe: so y^t he shall come to vs agayne w^t ioye. At these wordes his mother left of from wepyng, and helde her tonge.

¶ Yonge Tobias is delyuered from the fyshe, by the angell The Angell exhorteth Tobias to take ••ar•• to his wyfe.

CAPI. VI.

SO Tobias went on hys way / & a dogge [unspec A] folowed hym / and the fyrste nyght they abode by the water of Tygris. Then wente he out to wash his fete / & behold / there came forth an horrible fyshe to deuoure hym. Of whom Tobias was afrayed, & cryed with a loude voyce / sayenge: Lorde / he commeth vpon me. And the Angell sayde vnto him: Take hym by the gyll / and drawe hym to the. And he dyd so / and drewe hym vpon the

lande. And the fyshe begane to leape at hys fete.

Then sayde the Aungell vnto hym: take [unspec B] out the bowels of thys fyshe / and as for the herte / the gall & the leuer / kepe them by the. For these thīges are necessary and good for medecyne. Tobias dyd so / and rosted the fysh / and they toke hym with them in theyr iourney: the resydue they salted, as much as was suffycyent for them / tyll they came to Rages a cytye of the Medes. Then To∣bias asked the aungell / & sayde vnto hym: I praye the brother Azaria, tell me, wherto are these thinges good of the fysh that thou hast bydden me kepe?

The Aungell answered him and sayde: If thou layeste a pece of the herte vpon the coales / the smoke therof dryueth awaye all maner of euyll sprytes / whether it be from man or from woman, so that from thence forth the same shall come nomore vnto thē. The gall is good to anointe or to stryke the eyes withall / where as there is any blemith in then, so that they shalbe whole.

And Tobias sayde vnto hym: where wylt [unspec C] thou that we remaine? The Aungel answe∣red & sayde: Here is a nye kynsman of thyne, one Raguell by name, which hath a daugh∣ter called Sara, and hath nether sonne nor daughter but her. All hys good belongeth vnto the, and thou must mary her, and ther∣fore desyre her of her father, & he shall geue her the to wyfe. Then answered Tobias and saide: As I vnderstande, she hath bene maryed vnto seuen husbandes, and they al are deed: and I haue herde saye, that the deuell slewe them. I am afrayed therfore, leste suche thynges happen vnto me also: whiche yf it came to pa••se (seynge I am the onely sonne of my father and my mother) I shulde bryng them in theyr age with sorowe to theyr graues.

Then saide y^e Aungel Raphael vnto him: [unspec D] Heare me, & I wyll tell the what they be, or whom the deuell hath power Namely, they that receaue mariage of such a fashion, that they shut God out from thē & frō theyr hert. & geue thē selues to theyr owne lust, euen as it were an horse & Mule, which haue no vn¦derstāding: vpō such hath the deuel power. But when thou takeste her, and arte come into the chamber, wytholde thy selfe from her thre dayes, and geue thy diligence vnto nothyng but vnto prayer with her.

And in the first nyght, rost the liuer of the fysh. & the deuel shalbe dryuen awaye. The secōde night shalt thou be receaued into the company of the holy patriarkes. The thyrde night shalt thou optayne y^• blyssyng of God so that whole chyldren shalbe borne of you. After the thyrde nyght take the mayden in the feare of God, and more for the desyre of chyldren, then for any fleshly lust: that in the sede of of Abraham thou mayest optaine the blessynge in chyldren.

¶ Yonge Tobias and the Aungell come to the house of Raguell. He requyieth Raguels daughter to wyfe and ob∣tayneth her.

CAPI. VII.

THen wente they into Raguell, whiche [unspec A] receaued them ioyfully. And when Raguel loked vpon Tobias, he sayde vn∣to Anna hys wyfe: Howe lyke is thys yong man vnto my systers sonne? And when he had spoken thys, he sayde: whence be ye good brethren? They sayde: Of the trybe of Nephthaly, out of the captyuyte of Ny∣niue. Then sayde Raguel vnto them know ye my brother Tobias? They sayde: yee, we knowe hym well. And when he had spoken muche good of hym / the Aungell: sayde vnto Raguell. Tobias of whome thou askest,, is thys yonge mans father. Then Raguell bowed himselfe downe and wepte, toke hym aboute the necke, and kys∣sed hym, and sayde: Gods blessynge haue thou my sonne, for thou arte the sonne of a good verteous man. And Anna his wyfe & Sara hys daughter wepte also.

Now whē they had talked together, Ra∣guel [unspec B] bad kyll a wether, and to make a feste. And when he prayed them to syt downe to dynner, Tobias sayd: I will nether eat nor dryncke here thys daye, excepte thou fyrste graūt me my peticion, & promise me to geue me thy daughter Sara. When Raguel herd th{is}, he was astonied, for he knew, what had happened vnto the other seuen men, y^e went in vnto her: and he beganne to feare, that it shulde chaūce vnto him also in lyke maner.

And whyle he stode so in doute and gaue the yonge man no answere, the aungel saide vnto him: Feare not to geue him thy daugh¦ter, for vnto this man that feareth God, be∣lōgeth thy daughter to wife, therfore might none other haue her.

Then sayde Raguell: I doute not / but [unspec C] God hathe accepted my prayers and teares in his sight: & I trust he caused you to come vnto me for y^• same intent, that thys daugh¦ter of myne myghte be maryed in her owne kinred / accordynge to the lawe of Moses. And now dowte thou not / but I wyll geue her vnto the: So he toke the ryght hande of

hys daughter / and gaue her into the ryght hand of Tobias, and saide: The God of A∣braham / the God of Isaac / and the God of Iacob be with you, ioyne you together, and fulfyll hys blessyng in you. And they toke a letter, and made a wrytyng of the mariage. And thē made they mery, and praysed God. And Raguell called Anna hys wyfe vnto hym / and bad her prepare another chamber and thither he brought Sara his daughter and she wepte. Then sayde be vnto her: Be of good chere my daughter / the Lord of hea¦uen geue the ioye, for the heuynes that thou hast suffred.

¶ The Angel bindeth the deuyl. Tobias exhorteth his wife to prater, & they pray thre dayes before they lye together.

CAPI. VIII.

NOwe after that they had supped / they [unspec A] brought the yong man into her. Then thought Tobias vpon the wordes of the Aungell / and toke out of hys bagge a pece of the lyuer of the fyshe / and layed it vpon the hote coales. So the Aungell Raphaell toke holde of the deuell / and sente hym a∣waye / and bounde hym in the wyldernes of the byer Egypt. Then spake Tobias vnto the vyrgyn / and sayde: Up Sara / let vs make oure prayer vnto God to day / to mo∣rowe / and ouermorowe: for these thre nygh∣tes wyll we reconcyle ourselues with God: and whan the thyrde nyght is past / we shal ioyne together in dutye of maryage.

For we are the chyldren of holy men and we maye not come together as the Heathen / that knowe not God.

Then stode they vp both together / and [unspec B] besought God earnestly / that he wolde pre∣serue them. And Tobias sayde: O Lorde God of oure fathers / praysed be thou of hea¦uen and earth / of the see / welles / & floudes / and of all thy creatures y^• be therin. Thou madest Adam of the * 1.1 moulde of the earthe / and gauest him Eua for an helper And now Lord thou knowest that it is not because of voluptuousnes / y^• I take th{is} syster of myne to wyfe, but only for the loue of chyldren / in whō thy name be blessed for euer. And Sara sayde: haue mercy vpon vs (O Lorde) haue mercy vpō vs / and let vs both come whole and sounde together to a good age.

And aboute y^• cocke crowynge it happe∣ned / that [unspec C] Raguel called his seruaūtes / and they wente with hym, to make a graue. For he sayde: it is chaunced now vnto hym per∣aduenture / as it did vnto the other seuē mē, that went in vnto her. Now when they had made y^• graue / Raguel came agayne to hys wyfe, and sayde vnto her: sende one of thy maydens, to loke yf he be deed, that I maye burye hym afore it be lyght daye. So she sēt a mayden to se, which when she came into y^e chāber, founde them whole and sounde, sle∣pyng together. And so she came againe, and brought good tydinges. Then Raguel and Anna hys wyfe praysed the Lord and sayd: Praysed be y^•, O Lorde God of Israell, for it is not happened vnto vs as we thought. For thou haste dealte mercyfully with vs, [unspec D] and put awaye frō vs the enemye that per∣secuted vs, and hast shewed mercy vnto yō¦der two beloued. O Lorde, cause them to magnify the more perfectly, and to offre the sacryfyce of thy prayse, and of theyr health: that all people may knowe / that thou only arte God in all the earthe.

And immediatly Raguel commaunded hys seruauntes / to fyll the graue / that they had made / with earth / a fore it was lyght / and bade hys wyfe prepare a feaste / and to make redy all thynges that were necessary for meate / to such as wente by the waye.

He caused two fat kyne also / and foure we∣thers to be slayne, and meates to be prepa∣red for all his neyhbours and frendes. And Raguel charged Tobias to remaine with hī two wekes. As for all the good that he had, he gaue Tobias the halfe of it, & made thys wrytynge, that the halfe whiche remayned, shulde fall vnto Tobias after theyr death.

¶ The aungel goeth to Gabellus, at the desyre of Tobias which desyuereth the letter, and receaueth the ••uonye.

CAPI. IX.

THEN Tobias called vnto hym the [unspec A] Aungell / whome he thought to haue bene a man / and sayde vnto hym: Brother Azarias / I praye the herken vnto my wor∣des: Yf I shulde geue my selfe to be thy ser∣uaunte / I shal not deserue thy prouidence. Neuerthelesse I beseche the / that thou wylt take the beastes and the seruauntes, and go vnto Gabelus in rages the cyte of Medes / and deliuer hym his hand wrytyng / and re∣ceaue the money of him / and praye hym to come to my mariage. For thou knowest thy [unspec B] selfe, that my father doth nombre the dayes: and if I tary one day to long, he wylbe sory in his mynd. Nowe seist thou how earnestly Raguell hathe requyred me / so that I can∣not saye hym nay.

Then toke Raphaell foure of Raguels seruauntes, and two Camels, and wēte vn∣to Rages the cyte of the Medes: and when he had foūde Gabelus he gaue him his hād∣writyng, & receaued all the money. He tolde

him also of Tobias the sonne of Tobi, how [unspec C] all thynges had happened / and caused him to come w^t hym to the mariage. Now when he came into the house of Raguel / he found Tobias syttyng at the table: and he leaped vp, and they kyssed one another, and Gabe∣lus wepte, and praysed God, and sayde: the blessyng of the God of Israel haue thou for thou art the sonne of a ryght verteous and iust man, and of one that feareth God, and geueth great aimes. And blessyng haue thy wife, & your elders, that ye may se your chyl¦dren & your childers chyldrē, vnto the thyrd & fourth generaciō, & your sede be blessed of the god of Israell, which reygneth worlde without ende. And when they all had sayde [unspec D] Amē, they wēt to y^• feast, but with y^• feare of the Lord helde they the feast of the mariage.

¶ Tobias and hys wyfe are sadde for the t••riaūc•• of their sonne. Raguel seudeth agayne. Tobias with hys wyfe.

CAPI. X.

NOw whyle yonge Tobias made long [unspec A] taryeng / by reason of the mariage, his father was full of care and heuynesse / and thought: what shulde be the cause / that my sonne taryeth so longe? Or why shulde he be kept so long there? Peraduenture Ga∣belus is deade / and no man wyll geue hym the money. Thus begānne he to be very so∣rowfull, he and Anna hys wyfe with him, & beganne to wepe both together / because theyr sōne was not come againe vnto them at the daye appoynted. As for his mother / she wepte with discomfortable teares / and sayd: Wo is me, my sonne: Oh what ayled [unspec B] vs to sende the awaye into a straūge coūtre y^• lyght of our eyes, thou staffe of our age / thou comforte of oure lyfe, thou hope of our generacyon? Seynge all the thynges y^• we haue are onely ī the / we shuld not haue sent the away from vs. Then Tobias com∣forted her, and sayd: holde thy tonge and be not dyscomforted, oure sonne is whole and sounde: the man that we sente hym with all; is faithful ynough. Neuertheles she might in no wise be comforted: but dayly went out loked aboute, and wente about all the stre∣tes, wherby she thought he shulde come a∣gayne. ••••at (yf it were possyble) she myght le hym commynge a farre of.

But Raguell sayde vnto hys sonne in lawe▪ O cary here, and I shall sende a mes∣saunger [unspec C] vnto thy father Tobias, to tel him that thou art in good health. Tobias saide vnto hym: I am suce, that my father & my my mother counte euery day, and that their hertes are sory.

So when Raguell prayed Tobias with many wordes, and wolde in no wyse heare hym / he delyuered Sara vnto him, and the halfe part of all his good: in seruaūtes and handmaydens, in shepe, in Camels, and in kyne, and much money, & so sent him away from hym with peace and ioye, and sayde: The holy aungell of the Lorde be with you [unspec D] in your iourney, and bringe you forth safe & sounde, that ye may finde al thinges i good case with your elders, & that myne eyes may se your children afore I dye. So the parens embraced their daughter, kissed her, and let her go, exhorting her to honour her father & mother in law, to loue her husbande, to rule well her husholde, to kepe her house in good ordre, and to shewe her selfe fautelesse.

¶ Yonge Tobias leuing his wyfe & houshold in the mydhe waye / commeth before with the Aungel The ••••came of his mother loking after her sūne. He is 〈…〉〈…〉 receaued of his father and mother. Sar•• cometh seuen dares ••••t••r.

CAPI. XI.

AS they nowe were goyng home ward [unspec A] agayne, vpon the. xi. daye they came to Charra, whiche lyeth in the halfe waye towarde Niniue. And the Aungell sayde. Brother Tobias, thou knowest howe thou haste left thy father: therfore yf it please the, we two wyl go before, and let the housholde with thy wyfe and the catell come softe and fayrly after vs. And when Tobias was content that they shulde go before, Raphael sayde vnto hym: Take of the gall of the fysh with the, for it shalbe necessary. So To∣bias toke of the gal, & they wēt theyr waye. But Anna the mother of Tobias sat dayly [unspec B] by the waye syde vpon the toppe of an hyll / from whence she myght se farre aboute her. And whyle she was waytynge there for hys commynge / she loked a farre of, and anone she perceaued her sonne commynge / and ranne and tolde her husbande / saying: Be∣holde, thy sonne commeth. And Raphael sayde vnto Tobias: As soone as thou com∣mest into the house, immediatly worshyppe the Lorde thy God, and geue thankes vnto hym: then go to thy father: and kysse hym, & stryke his eyes ouer with the gal of the fish, that thou hast brought with y^•. For be sure, that his eyes shal straight waye be opened / and thy father shal se the lyght of heauen, & shal reioyce at the syght of the. Then y^• dog that had bene with them in theyr iourneye, ranne before, and came as a messenger, and wagged with his tayle for gladnesse.

So the blynde father arose and beganne [unspec C] to runne, and stombled with hys fete / and

gaue a seruaūt his hand, ranne to mete his sonne, receaued him, and kyssed him, he and his wyfe / and they begāne to wepe for ioye.

Nowe when they had worshypped and thanked God / they sat downe. Then toke Tobias of the fyshes gall / and anoynted hys fathers eyes: and taried helfe an houre and than beganne the blemysh to go out of his eyes lyke as it had bene the whyte skine of an egge: which Tobias toke / and drewe from hys eyes, and immediatly he receaued hys syght.

Then they praysed God, he and his wyfe, [unspec D] and all they that knewe hym. And Tobias sayde: O Lorde God of Israell / I geue the praise and thanckes for thou hast chastened me, and made me whole. And lo, nowe do I se my sōne Tobias. After seuen dayes came Sara his sōnes wyfe also whole and soūde with all the housholde & catell, with camels and much money of hys wyues, and with the money that he had receaued of Gabel{us}: and he tolde his father and hys mother al y^• benefytes which God had done for hym / by the man that led hym. Achior also and Na∣bath Tobias sister sōnes came, & were glad and reioysed with hym / by reason of all the good that God had shewed vnto hym. And so for the space of seuē dayes they made me∣ry / and were ryght ioyfull euerychone.

¶ Yonge Tobias rechened by vnto hys father the plea∣sures that the aungell dyd hym. He offred vnto the aungell holfe the goodes that he brought with hym.

CAPI. XII.

THen Tobyas called his sonne vnto [unspec A] hym, and sayde: What may we geue thys holy man / that wente with the? To∣bias answered hys father / and sayde: Fa∣ther / what rewarde shall we geue him? Or what thynge can deserue his benefytes? He hath bene my gyde, and brought me safe a∣gayne: he receaued the money frō Gabelus he caused me to get my wyfe / he droue the euyll spryte from her / be hath bene an occa∣syon of gladnesse to her father and mother: he delyuered me / that I was not deuoured of the fyshe, he hath made the to se the lyght of heauen, yee we all haue receaued greate good of him. Howe shulde we worthely de∣serue these thynges vnto him? But I praye the my father, that thou wylt desyre him / yf happly he wyll voutch safe / to take w^t hym the halfe of all that we haue brought.

So the father and the sonne called hym / [unspec B] toke him asyde / and beganne to praye hym, y^• he wolde be cōtent to take in good worth / the halfe parte of al that they had brought. Then sayde he secretly vnto them. Prayse ye the god of heauen, and geue thankes vn to hym before all men lyuynge / for he hathe shewed his mercy vnto vs. It is good to hy¦de the kinges secrete, but to shew & to praise y^• worckes of god, it is an honorable thyng. Prayer is good with fastinge, and mercy is better, then to hoorde vp treasures of gold. For mercy delyuereth from death / clenseth synne, and causeth to fynde euerlasting lyfe. But they that do synne & vnrighteousnes, are the enemyes of theyr owne soule.

Wherfore I tell you the truth, and wyll [unspec C] hyde nothinge from you. When thou pray∣edst with teares, and buryedst the deed, and leftest thy dyner, and hiddest the deed in thy house vpon the day tyme / that thou mygh∣test buryē them in the nyghte / I offred thy prayer before the Lorde. And because thou wast accept and beloued of God, it was ne∣cessary that temtacyon shulde trye the. And now hath the Lord sent me to heale the, and to delyuet Sara thy sonnes wyfe from the euyll spryte. For I am Raphael an aungel, one of the seuen that stande before God.

When they hearde thys / they were sore [unspec C] afrayed / and trembled / and fell downe vpon theyr faces vnto the grounde. Then sayde the Aungel: Peace be with you, feare not. Where as I haue bene with you / it is the wyll of God: geue prayse and thanckes vnto hym.

You thought that I dyd * 1.2 eat and dryncke with you / but I vse meate that is inuysy∣ble / and drincke that cannot be sene of men,

Nowe therfore is the tyme that I muste rurne agayne, vnto him that sent me: but be ye thanckfull vnto God, and tel out all hys wonderous worckes.

And when he had spoken these wordes / he was taken awaye out of theyr syghte / so that they sawe hym nomore. Then tell they downe flat vpon their faces by the spaces of thre houres, & praysed God: when they rose vp, they tolde all hys wonderous worckes.

¶ Tobias the elder geueth thankes vnto God.

CAPI. XIII.

THen olde Tobias opened 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mouthe [unspec A] and praysed the Lorde / and sayde: Great art thou O Lorde for euermore / and thy kigdome worlde without ende: for thou scourgest and healest: thou ledest vnto hell, and bryngest out agayne / and there is none that may escape thyne hande. O geue than∣kes vnto the Lorde, ye chyldren of Israell, and prayse hym in the syght of the heathen.

For amonge the Heathen whiche knowe

hym not hathe he scatered you, to the intent that ye shulde shewe forth hys maruelous worckes: and cause them for to knowe, that there is none other God almyghtye but he. He hathe chastened vs for our mysdedes / & for hys owne mercye sake shall he saue vs.

Consydre then, howe he hath dealt with you / and prayse hym with feare & drede, and magnyfye the euerlastynge kynge in youre worckes. I wyll praye him euen in the lande [unspec B] of my captiuyte / for he hath shewed his ma∣testye vnto synful people. Turne you ther∣fore O ye synners, and do ryghteousnes be∣fore God / and be ye sure, that he wyll shewe his mercy vpon you. As for me, & my soule, we wyll reioyse in God. O prayse the Lorde all ye his chosen, holde y^• dayes of gladnesse, and be thankfull vnto hym. O Ierusalem thou cytie of God / the Lorde hath punyshed the for the workes of thyne owne handes. O prayse the Lorde in thy good thynges / and geue thankes to the euerlastynge God, that he may buylde vp his tabernacle agayne in the / that he maye call agayne vnto the, all suche as be in captiuyte / & that thou mayest haue ioye for euermore. With a fayre lyght shalte thou shyne / and all the endes of the worlde shall honoure the. The people shall come vnto the from farre / they shall brynge gyftes, & worship the Lorde in the / and thy laude shall they haue for a Sanctuary / for they shall call vpon the greate name in the. [unspec C]

Cursed shall they be that despyse the / & all that blaspheme the / shalbe condempned: but blessed shall they be that buylde the vp. As for the / thou shalt reioyse in the chyldre, for they all shalbe blessed / and gathered to∣gether vnto the Lorde. Blessed are they all that loue the / and that be glad of thy peace. Prayse thou the Lorde, O my soule, for the Lorde our God hathe delyuered hys cytie Ierusalem from all her troubles. I wyll counte my selfe happye / yf my sede remayne to se the clearnes of Ierusalem.

The gates of Ierusalem shalbe buylded with Saphyre and Smarage / and all the compasse of her walles with precyous sto∣nes. All her stretes shalbe paued with white marble stone / and in al stretes shal Alleluya be songe. Praysed be the Lorde / whiche hath exalted her / that his kyngdome maye be vpon her for euermore. Amen. And so Tobias made an ende of hys talkynge.

¶ Tobias prophecyeth the destruction of Niniue His sōme returned to Raguel, alter the decesse of h•• father & mother.

CAPI. XIIII.

AND after that Tobias had gottē his sight agayne, he lyued. xlii▪ yeares, & [unspec A] sawe his chylders chyldren Now when he was. C, and. ii. yeare olde, he dyed: and was buryed honorably in Niniue. For when he was sixe and fyftye yeares of age he lost the syght of his eyes, and whē he was thre score yeare olde he gat his syght agayne. The re∣sidue of his lyfe led he in ioye / and increased well in y^• feare of God / & departed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 peace.

But in the houre of hys death he called [unspec B] vnto hym hys sonne Tobias / and seuen yonge springaldes hys sōnes chyldren, and sayde vnto thē: The destruccyon of Niniue is at hande, for the worde of the Lorde can not fayle, and oure brethren that are scatred out of the lande of Israel / shal come thyther agayne. And the whole lande of it that hathe bene waste / shalbe fylled: & the huose of God that was brent in it / shalbe buylded agayne: and all suche as feare God / shall returne thyther: the Heathen also shall for∣sake theyr Idols, and come to Ierusalem, and dwel there, & al the kynges of the earth shalbe glad of her, and worshyp the Lorde God of Israel.

And therfore my chyldren, heare your fa∣ther: [unspec C] Serue the Lorde in the trueth, seke a•• his wyll / and do the thynge that pleaseth hym. Commaunde youre chyldren that they do ryght / geue almes / be myndeful of God, and euer to be thankful vnto hym in trueth and with all theyr power. Heare me nowe therfore my chyldren / & abyde not here: but in what daye soeuer ye haue buryed youre mother besyde me / get you from hence. For I se, that the wyckednes of it shall brynge it to destruccyon and ende.

After the death of his mother, Tobyas [unspec D] departed awaye frō Niniue, with his wyfe and chyldren, and with his childers childrē, and came agayne to hys father & mother in lawe, and founde them whole and in a good age, and toke the care of them. And he closed theyr eyes, and was heyre vnto al Raguels goodes, and sawe the fyfth generacyon, and his chylders childrē. And whē he was. x••ix. yeare of age, he dyed in y^• feare the Lorde, and his kynsfolkes buryed him. And all his posteryte continued in a good lyfe, and holy conuersacyon: so that they were loued and accepted bothe of God and men / and of all the people of the lande.

¶ The ende of the booke of Tobias.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gene. ii. a.
• * 1.2

  G••. x••••••▪ •• Iudi, 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪