Tobit
Introduction
The book of Tobit is a kind of wisdom literature told in the form of a religious novel. Tobit, the principal character of the story, is a faithful Israelite who was taken into exile in Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, after the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 b.c. This book teaches the importance of remaining faithful to God, of giving to the poor, and of respecting one's parents. It also shows that God answers prayers, and though people may be tested or punished by suffering, God will always remain faithful to those who are faithful to him.
Wise sayings and prayers are combined in the carefully constructed story of Tobit. The central plot revolves around Tobit, a pious and respected elder in the Jewish community. Throughout the story Tobit remains faithful to God's Law, despite suffering captivity, blindness, and poverty. Eventually, he is restored to health and happiness. A second story in Tobit tells about Sarah, a young Israelite woman living in Ecbatana who is tormented by a demon who killed each of the seven men she married on their wedding nights. Connecting these two stories is the story of Tobias, Tobit's son, and Raphael, an angel sent by God to answer the prayers of Tobit and Sarah. As the story alternates between Nineveh and Ecbatana, the author gives the reader a more complete view of what's happening than any of the individual characters have. As a result, readers of the book of Tobit can see how God actively protects those who are faithful to him. In this way readers are reminded to trust God even when they feel God has not heard their prayers.
Outline
Tobit and His Blindness (1.1—2.14)
Tobit and Sarah Pray (3.1-16)
Guidance for Tobias (4.1—5.22)
Tobias and Raphael Go to Media (6.1—11.5)
Tobit Is Healed and Raphael Explains (11.7—12.22)
Tobit's Hymn of Praise and Last Words (13.1—14.15)
1
1 He cabu long tah Naphtali koca, Asiel cadil, Rhaphel capa Gabael aka a ca Aduel capa, Haniel capa Tobiel kah a capa Tobit kah cil kawng te a thui 2 Anih tah Assyria kah manghai Shamnesrt tue vaengah Thisbe lamloh Phogor tlangpuei khotlak kah Asher kungkueng a so Galilee kah Naphtali Kehdesth tuithim ah tamna la a khuen.
Tobit kah A Rhoengnah
3 Kai, Tobit tah ka hing tue khuiah ah oltak neh duengnah longpuei ah ni ka pongpa. Assyria khohmuen kah Nineveh ah vangsawn la aka cet ka pilnam taeng neh ka manuca taengah khaw sitlohnah bibi he muep ka saii.
4 Kamah khohmuen Israel kho ah ka om vaengah camoe la ka om pueng. Te vaengah a pa Naphtali loh Jerusalem neh David imkhui te a thoh. Khopuei te tah Israel koca boeih khui lamloh a tuek coeng. Teah te Israel koca boeih loh hmueih nawn saeh. Teah tah Pathen om nah bawkim om. Te te kumhal kah cadilcahma boeih ham a ciim tih a thoh coeng
5 Israel manghai Jeroboam loh Dan neh Galilee tlang boeih a nawn vaito ca te ka manuca neh Naphtali imkhui kah a pa rhoek loh a bawk uh coeng.
6 Kai kamah bueng ni Jerusalem kah khoning vaengah khaw ka caeh. Tetah kumhal kah oltloek neh Israel boeih hamla a saii coeng. Ka thaicuek neh, boiva dukcuek neh, saelhung parha pakhat neh, tu mul a rhuep cuek neh Jerusalem la ka cet paitok 7 Hmueihtuk kah Aaron koca, khosoih rhoek te he ni ka paek eh. Canghum parha pakhat, misurtui, olive situi, talae thaih, thaibu neh thingthaih boeih te Jerusalem kah bi aka bi Levi koca taengah ka pae eh. A kum rhuk dongah khaw parha ah panit te ka tung tih Jerusalem la ka caeh vaengah ka tael eh.
8 Parha ah pathum tah cadah nuhmai neh amah Israel hlang la aka coeng hlang rhoek hamla ka tael pah. Te te ka khuen tih a kum thum dongah amih hamla ka tael pah. Te tah a pa Tobiel manu, Deborah kah oluen bangla, Moses kah olkhueng oltloek bangla ka caak. Kai khaw a pa duek tih cadah lam ni kai n'khueh. 9 Hlang la ka poeh vaengah tah ka huiko khuii lamkah te ka yuu la ka loh. Anih rhangneh kai he Tobias ka sui, tongpa pakhat kah a napa la ka poeh.
Nineveh La a Khuen
10 Assyria ah tamna la n'khuen tih Ninveh ah khaw namta la ka om. Te vaengah ka huiko boeih te ka pilnam loh namtom kah buh te a caak. 11 Tedae kai tah namtom kah buh aka ca khui lamloh ka cue uh. 12 Ka thinko boeih neh Pathen aka poek la ka om dongah. 13 Khohni loh kai tah Shalmaneser taengah khaw kolonah neh hnothen ni m'paek. 14 Anih a dueknah rhil Media la ka cet tih anih hamla ka thenpom pah. Media khohmuen kah ka om vaengah Gabri manuca Gabael taengah tangka sungkoi, talen parha aka ting te ka khueh pah. 15 Tedae Shalmaneser a duek vaengah tah a capa Sennkherih te anih yuengla manghai. Te vaengah Media longpuei tah rhih om coeng tih ka cet voel pawh.
Thinom neh Rhok Vueinah
16 Shalmaneser tue vaengah he ka pilnam neh ka huiko taengah moeihoeinah bih he muep ka saii. 17 Ka buh te bungpong taengah, ka himbai te pumtling taengah ka paek. Nineveh vong hilp kah a voeih ka pilnam kah duek rhok te ka hmuh vaengah ka khoem pah.
18 Judea lamloh aka yong tih Sennakherib loh a duek sak rhoek kah rhok te khaw ka khoem pah. Te vaengah anih te amah kah salphamnah vanbangla vaan kah manghai loh a duek sak. A thintoek dongah Israel ca muep a duek sak. Tedae a huep la rhok ka khuen tih ka up. Te rhoek te Sennakherib loh a tlap dae a hmuh moenih. 19 Te dongah Neniveh hlang pakhat te cet tih manghai taengah kai kawng a thui. Te dongah kamah khaw ka thuh uh. Manghai loh kai kawng a ming tih kai duek sak ham n'tlap te ka ming vaengah tah ka rhih tih ka yong. 20 Ka koerhang boeih te khaw hang rhawt. Pakhat kangna khaw paih pawh. A cungkuem te manghai koe la a loh tih ka yuu Anna neh ka capa Tobias bueng te sueng.
21 Tedae khohnin likip a koe hlan ah Sennakherih te a ca rhoi loh a ngawn tih Ararat tlang la a yong tak rhoi. Te phoeiah tah a cap Esardon te anih yuengla manghai. Anih long tah ka munca Hanael capa, Ahikate te a tuek tih ram tom kah boeih kah a soah a khueh. Uktaemnah boeih soah saithainah khaw anih te a paek. 22 Anih loh kai n'tungaep dongah Neniveh la ka mael. Te vaengah Ahikat tah tultael boeih, kutcin boei neh Assyria manghai Sennakherib kut hmuikah taemrhainah boeih aka hutnah la om. Te dongah Esarhaddon te koep a tuek. Anih tah ka ca la om tih ka huiko rhep la om.