The Book of Tobit (Tobias)

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

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- Chapter 14 -

Old Tobias dies at the age of a hundred and two years, after exhorting his son and grandsons to piety, foreseeing that Ninive shall be destroyed, and Jerusalem rebuilt. The younger Tobias returns with his family to Raguel, and dies happily as he had lived.

And the sermon of Tobit was completed. And after Tobit received his sight, he lived forty-two years, and he saw the sons of his grandchildren.

And so, having completed one hundred and two years, he was buried honorably at Nineveh.

For he was fifty-six years old, when he lost the light of his eyes, and he was sixty years old, when he truly received it again.

And, in truth, the remainder of his life was in gladness. And so, with the good accomplishment of the fear of God, he departed in peace.

But, in the hour of his death, he called to himself his son Tobias, along with his sons, the seven youths who were his grandsons, and he said to them:

“Nineveh will pass away soon. For the word of the Lord goes forward, and our brothers, who have been dispersed away from the land of Israel, shall return to it.(a)

Thus its deserted land will be entirely filled again. And the house of God, which was burned like incense within it, will be rebuilt again. And all those who fear God will return there.(b)

And the Gentiles will relinquish their idols, and they will enter into Jerusalem, and they will dwell in it.

And all the kings of the earth will rejoice in it, adoring the King of Israel.

Therefore, my sons, listen to your father. Serve the Lord in truth, and seek to do the things that please him.

And command your sons, so that they may accomplish justice and almsgiving, and so that they may be mindful of God and may bless him at all times, in truth and with all their strength.

And now, sons, listen to me, and do not remain here. But, on whatever day you will bury your mother near me in one sepulcher, from that time, direct your steps to leave this place.

For I see that its iniquity will bring about its end.”

And it happened that, after the death of his mother, Tobias withdrew from Nineveh, with his wife, and sons, and sons of sons, and he was returned to his father-in-law.

And he found them unharmed in a good old age. And he took care of them, and he closed their eyes. And all the inheritance of the house of Raguel passed to him. And he saw the sons of his sons to the fifth generation.

And, having completed ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy, they buried him.

But all his family and all his lineage continued with a good life and in holy conversation, so that they were acceptable both to God and to men, as well as to everyone who dwelt in the land.(c)

Footnotes

(a)14:6 The verb ‘excidit’ literally means ‘falls out.’ It is sometimes used to refer to an event that must befall someone, usually an event of destruction or disaster.(Conte)

(b)14:7 The phrasing ‘omnis...replebitur’ means to be entirely filled up again.(Conte)

(c)14:17 Notice that the word ‘generatio’ is used to refer to lineage, rather than to the members of one time period (generation). Similarly, when Christ said that ‘this generation’ would not pass away until all was accomplished, he meant ‘this lineage,’ in other words, the human race. He was not saying that the people of that time period would see everything accomplished in their lifetime.(Conte)