Sefarim
Ben Sira51
Sirach / Ecclesiasticus · Chapter 51
I will thank thee, O master and King, and praise thee, O Elohim my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:
For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries:
And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of they mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;
From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;
From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.
By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my nephesh drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath.
They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.
Then thought I upon thy mercy, O master, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.
Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death.
I called upon the master, the Father of my master, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.
I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:
For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless they name, O master.
When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer.
I prayed for her before the heikhal, and will seek her out even to the end.
Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.
I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning.
I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom.
For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.
My nephesh hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the shamayim above, and bewailed my ignorances of her.
I directed my nephesh unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be foresaken.
My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.
The master hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith.
Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.
Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty?
I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money.
Put your neck under the yoke, and let your nephesh receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.
Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest.
Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.
Let your nephesh rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.
Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.
Sefarim
Tovit1
Tobit · Chapter 1
The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel, the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of Nephthali;
Who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was led captive out of Thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is called properly Nephthali in Galilee above Aser.
I Tobit have walked all the days of my life in the ways of truth and justice, and I did many almsdeeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineve, into the land of the Assyrians.
And when I was in mine own country, in the land of Yisra'el being but young, all the tribe of Nephthali my father fell from the house of Yerushalayim, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra'el, that all the tribes should sacrifice there, where the heikhal of the habitation of the most High was consecrated and built for all ages.
Now all the tribes which together revolted, and the house of my father Nephthali, sacrificed unto the heifer Baal.
But I alone went often to Yerushalayim at the feasts, as it was ordained unto all the people of Yisra'el by an everlasting decree, having the firstfruits and tenths of increase, with that which was first shorn; and them gave I at the altar to the kohanim the children of Aharon.
The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aharon, who ministered at Yerushalayim: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent it every year at Yerushalayim:
And the third I gave unto them to whom it was meet, as Debora my father’s mother had commanded me, because I was left an orphan by my father.
Furthermore, when I was come to the age of a man, I married Anna of mine own kindred, and of her I begat Tobias.
And when we were carried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles.
But I kept myself from eating;
Because I remembered Elohim with all my heart.
And the most High gave me grace and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his purveyor.
And I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias, at Rages a city of Media ten talents of silver.
Now when Enemessar was dead, Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead; whose estate was troubled, that I could not go into Media.
And in the time of Enemessar I gave many alms to my brethren, and gave my bread to the hungry,
And my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the walls of Nineve, I buried him.
And if the king Sennacherib had slain any, when he was come, and fled from Judea, I buried them privily; for in his wrath he killed many; but the bodies were not found, when they were sought for of the king.
And when one of the Ninevites went and complained of me to the king, that I buried them, and hid myself; understanding that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear.
Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any thing left me, beside my wife Anna and my son Tobias.
And there passed not five and fifty days, before two of his sons killed him, and they fled into the mountains of Ararath; and Sarchedonus his son reigned in his stead; who appointed over his father’s accounts, and over all his affairs, Achiacharus my brother Anael’s son.
And Achiacharus intreating for me, I returned to Nineve. Now Achiacharus was cupbearer, and keeper of the signet, and steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto him: and he was my brother’s son.
Sefarim
Tovit2
Tobit · Chapter 2
Now when I was come home again, and my wife Anna was restored unto me, with my son Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy feast of the seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sat down to eat.
And when I saw abundance of meat, I said to my son, Go and bring what poor man soever thou shalt find out of our brethren, who is mindful of the master; and, lo, I tarry for thee.
But he came again, and said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the marketplace.
Then before I had tasted of any meat, I started up, and took him up into a room until the going down of the sun.
Then I returned, and washed myself, and ate my meat in heaviness,
Remembering that prophecy of Amos, as he said, Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.
Therefore I wept: and after the going down of the sun I went and made a grave, and buried him.
But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraid to be put to death for this matter: who fled away; and yet, lo, he burieth the dead again.
The same night also I returned from the burial, and slept by the wall of my courtyard, being polluted and my face was uncovered:
And I knew not that there were sparrows in the wall, and mine eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and a whiteness came in mine eyes: and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not: moreover Achiacharus did nourish me, until I went into Elymais.
And my wife Anna did take women’s works to do.
And when she had sent them home to the owners, they paid her wages, and gave her also besides a kid.
And when it was in my house, and began to cry, I said unto her, From whence is this kid? is it not stolen? render it to the owners; for it is not lawful to eat any thing that is stolen.
But she replied upon me, It was given for a gift more than the wages. Howbeit I did not believe her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. But she replied upon me, Where are thine alms and thy righteous deeds? behold, thou and all thy works are known.