Tobit’s Final Counsel
14 So ended Tobit’s words of praise.
2 He died in peace when he was one hundred twelve years old and was buried with great honor in Nineveh. He was fifty-eight[a] years old when he lost his eyesight, and after regaining it he lived in prosperity, giving alms. He continued to bless God and to acknowledge God’s greatness.
3 When he was about to die, he called his son Tobias and his seven children[b] and gave this command: “My son, take your children 4 and escape off to Media, for I believe the word of God that Nahum spoke about Nineveh, that all these things will occur and will happen to Assyria and Nineveh. Indeed, everything that was spoken by the prophets of Israel whom God sent will occur. None of all their words will fail, but all will come true at their appointed times. So it will be safer in Media than among the Assyrians or in Babylon. For I know and believe that whatever God has said will be fulfilled and will occur; not a single word of the prophecies will fail. All of our kindred, inhabitants of the land of Israel, will be counted and taken as captives from the good land, and the whole land of Israel will be desolate; even Samaria and Jerusalem will be desolate. And the temple of God in it will be burned to the ground and will be desolate for a while.[c](A)
5 “But God will again have mercy on them, and God will bring them back into the land of Israel, and they will rebuild the temple but not like the first one until the appointed time is completed. After this they all will return from their exile and will rebuild Jerusalem in splendor, and in it the temple of God will be rebuilt, just as the prophets of Israel have said concerning it.(B)6 Then all the nations in the whole world will all be converted and will truly fear God. They will all abandon all their idols who deceitfully have led them into their error,(C)7 and in righteousness they will praise the eternal God. All the Israelites who are saved in those days and are truly mindful of God will be gathered together; they will go to Jerusalem and live in safety forever in the land of Abraham, and it will be given over to them. Those who sincerely love God will rejoice, but those who commit sin and injustice will vanish from all the earth.
9 “So now, my children, I command you, serve God faithfully and do what is pleasing in his sight. Your children are also to be commanded to do what is right and to give alms and to be mindful of God and to bless his name at all times with sincerity and with all their strength. 8 So now, my son, leave Nineveh; do not remain here.[d]10 On whatever day you bury your mother beside me, do not stay overnight within the confines of the city, for I see that there is much injustice within it and that much deceit is practiced within it, while the people are without shame. See, my son, what Nadab did to Ahikar, who had reared him. Was he not, while still alive, brought down into the earth? For God repaid him to his face for this shameful treatment. Ahikar came out into the light, but Nadab went into the eternal darkness because he tried to kill Ahikar. Because he gave alms, he escaped the fatal trap that Nadab had set for him, but Nadab fell into it himself and was destroyed.(D)11 So now, my children, see what almsgiving accomplishes and what injustice does—it brings death! But now my breath fails me.”
Death of Tobit and Anna
Then they laid him on his bed, and he died, and he received an honorable funeral.(E)12 When Tobias’s mother died, he buried her beside his father. Then he and his wife[e] returned to Media and settled in Ecbatana with Raguel his father-in-law.(F)13 He looked after his parents-in-law[f] with great respect in their old age and buried them in Ecbatana of Media. He inherited both the property of Raguel and that of his father Tobit. 14 He died highly respected at the age of one hundred seventeen years. 15 Before he died he saw and heard[g] of the destruction of Nineveh, and he saw its prisoners being led into Media, those whom King Cyaxares[h] of Media had taken captive. Tobias[i] blessed God for all he had done to the people of Nineveh and Assyria; before he died he rejoiced over Nineveh, and he blessed the Lord God forever and ever. Amen.(G)
Footnotes
- 14.2Q mss OL: S sixty-two
- 14.3OL: S lacks and his seven children
- 14.4OL: Other ancient authorities read of God will be in distress and will be burned for a while
- 14.8In other ancient authorities 14.8 precedes 14.9
- 14.12Other ancient authorities add and children
- 14.13Gk them
- 14.15Other ancient authorities lack saw and
- 14.15Cn: S Ahikar
- 14.15Gk He