Tobit Chapter 4

Other Translations

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

1 Igitur cum Tobias putaret orationem suam exaudiri ut mori potuisset, vocavit ad se Tobiam filium suum,

2 dixitque ei: Audi fili mi verba oris mei, et ea in corde tuo, quasi fundamentum construe.

3 Cum acceperit Deus animam meam, corpus meum sepeli: et honorem habebis matri tuæ omnibus diebus vitæ eius:

4 memor enim esse debes, quæ et quanta pericula passa sit propter te in utero suo.

5 Cum autem et ipsa compleverit tempus vitæ suæ, sepelias eam circa me.

6 Omnibus autem diebus vitæ tuæ in mente habeto Deum: et cave ne aliquando peccato consentias, et prætermittas præcepta Domini Dei nostri.

7 Ex substantia tua fac eleemosynam, et noli avertere faciem tuam ab ullo paupere: ita enim fiet ut nec a te avertatur facies Domini.

8 Quo modo potueris, ita esto misericors.

9 Si multum tibi fuerit, abundanter tribue: si exiguum tibi fuerit, etiam exiguum libenter impertiri stude.

10 Præmium enim bonum tibi thesaurizas in die necessitatis.

11 quoniam eleemosyna ab omni peccato, et a morte liberat, et non patietur animam ire in tenebras.

12 Fiducia magna erit coram summo Deo eleemosyna omnibus facientibus eam.

13 Attende tibi fili mi ab omni fornicatione, et præter uxorem tuam numquam patiaris crimen scire.

14 Superbiam numquam in tuo sensu, aut in tuo verbo dominari permittas: in ipsa enim initium sumpsit omnis perditio.

15 Quicumque tibi aliquid operatus fuerit, statim ei mercedem restitue, et merces mercenarii tui apud te omnino non remaneat.

16 Quod ab alio oderis fieri tibi, vide ne tu aliquando alteri facias.

17 Panem tuum cum esurientibus et egenis comede, et de vestimentis tuis nudos tege.

18 Panem tuum, et vinum tuum super sepulturam iusti constitue, et noli ex eo manducare, et bibere cum peccatoribus.

19 consilium semper a sapiente perquire.

20 Omni tempore benedic Deum: et pete ab eo, ut vias tuas dirigat, et omnia consilia tua in ipso permaneant.

21 Indico etiam tibi fili mi dedisse me decem talenta argenti, dum adhuc infantulus esses, Gabelo, in Rages civitate Medorum, et chirographum eius apud me habeo:

22 et ideo perquire quo modo ad eum pervenias, et recipias ab eo supra memoratum pondus argenti, et restituas ei chirographum suum.

23 Noli timere fili mi: pauperem quidem vitam gerimus, sed multa bona habebimus si timuerimus Deum, et recesserimus ab omni peccato, et fecerimus bene.

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).