Tobit Chapter 1

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Tobias ex tribu, et civitate Nephthali (quæ est in superioribus Galilææ supra Naasson, post viam, quæ ducit ad Occidentem, in sinistro habens civitatem Sephet)

2 cum captus esset in diebus Salmanasar regis Assyriorum, in captivitate tamen positus, viam veritatis non deseruit,

3 ita ut omnia, quæ habere poterat, quotidie concaptivis fratribus, qui erant ex eius genere, impertiret.

4 Cumque esset iunior omnibus in tribu Nephthali, nihil tamen puerile gessit in opere.

5 Denique cum irent omnes ad vitulos aureos, quos Ieroboam fecerat rex Israel, hic solus fugiebat consortia omnium,

6 sed pergebat in Ierusalem ad templum Domini, et ibi adorabat Dominum Deum Israel, omnia primitiva sua, et decimas suas fideliter offerens,

7 ita ut in tertio anno proselytis et advenis ministraret omnem decimationem.

8 Hæc et his similia secundum legem Dei puerulus observabat.

9 Cum vero factus esset vir, accepit uxorem Annam de tribu sua, genuitque ex ea filium, nomen suum imponens ei,

10 quem ab infantia timere Deum docuit, et abstinere ab omni peccato.

11 Igitur, cum per captivitatem devenisset cum uxore sua, et filio in civitatem Niniven cum omni tribu sua,

12 (cum omnes ederent ex cibis Gentilium) iste custodivit animam suam, et numquam contaminatus est in escis eorum.

13 Et quoniam memor fuit Domini in toto corde suo, dedit illi Deus gratiam in conspectu Salmanasar regis,

14 et dedit illi potestatem quocumque vellet ire, habens libertatem quæcumque facere voluisset.

15 Pergebat ergo ad omnes, qui erant in captivitate, et monita salutis dabat eis.

16 Cum autem venisset in Rages civitatem Medorum, et ex his, quibus honoratus fuerat a rege, habuisset decem talenta argenti:

17 et cum in multa turba generis sui Gabelum egentem videret, qui erat ex tribu eius, sub chirographo dedit illi memoratum pondus argenti.

18 Post multum vero temporis, mortuo Salmanasar rege, cum regnaret Sennacherib filius eius pro eo, et filios Israel exosos haberet in conspectu suo:

19 Tobias quotidie pergebat per omnem cognationem suam, et consolabatur eos, dividebatque unicuique, prout poterat, de facultatibus suis:

20 esurientes alebat, nudisque vestimenta præbebat, et mortuis atque occisis sepulturam solicitus exhibebat.

21 Denique cum reversus esset rex Sennacherib fugiens a Iudæa plagam, quam circa eum fecerat Deus propter blasphemiam suam, et iratus multos occideret ex filiis Israel, Tobias sepeliebat corpora eorum.

22 At ubi nunciatum est regi, iussit eum occidi, et tulit omnem substantiam eius.

23 Tobias vero cum filio suo, et cum uxore suo fugiens, nudus latuit, quia multi diligebant eum.

24 Post dies vero quadragintaquinque occiderunt regem filii ipsius,

25 et reversus est Tobias in domum suam, omnisque facultas eius restituta est ei.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).