1 Tobie was of the lynage and citee of Neptalym, which is in the hiyere partis of Galilee, aboue Naason, bihynde the weie that ledith to the west, and hath in the lefte side the citee of Sapheth,
2 whanne he was takun in the daies of Salmanazar, kyng of Assiriens, netheles he set in caytifte, `ether takun prisoner, forsook not the weie of treuthe,
3 so that he departide ech dai alle thingis whiche he myyte haue, with caitif britheren that weren of his kyn.
4 And whanne he was yongere than alle in the lynage of Neptalym, netheles he dide no childische thing in werk.
5 Forsothe whanne alle Jewis yeden to the goldun calues, whiche Jeroboam, the kyng of Israel, made, this Tobie aloone fledde the cumpenyes of alle men;
6 and he yede to Jerusalem, to the temple of the Lord, and there he worschipide the Lord God of Israel; and he offride feithfuly alle hise firste fruytis, and hise tithis;
7 so that in the thridde yeer he mynystride al the tithe to conuersis and comlyngis.
8 The yonge man kepte these thingis, and thingis lijk these, bi the lawe of God of heuene.
9 Sotheli whanne he was maad a man, he took a wijf, Anne, of his lynage; and he gendride of hir a sone, and puttide his owne name to hym;
10 whom he tauyte fro yong childhed for to drede God, and for to absteyne fro al synne.
11 Therfor whanne bi caitifte he was comun, with his wijf and sone, in to the citee Nynyue,
12 with al his lynage, and alle men eeten of the meetis of hethene men, this Tobie kepte his soule, and was neuere defoulid in the metis of hem.
13 And for he was myndeful of the Lord in al his herte, God yaf grace to hym in the siyt of Salamanazar, the kyng;
14 and he yaf to Tobie power to go whidur euer he wolde, and he hadde fredom to do what euer thingis he wolde.
15 Therfor he yede bi alle men that weren in caitifte, and yaf to hem the heestis of helthe.
16 Sotheli whanne he was comyn in to Rages, a citee of Medeis, and hadde ten talentis of siluer, of these thingis bi whiche he was onourid of the kyng;
17 and siy Gabelus nedi, that was of his lynage, with myche cumpeny of his kyn, Tobie yaf to hym, vndur an obligacioun, the forseid weiyte of siluer.
18 Forsothe after myche tyme, aftir that Salamanazar, the kyng, was deed, whanne Senacherib, his sone, regnyde for hym, and hadde the sones of Israel hateful in his siyt,
19 Tobie yede ech dai bi al his kynrede, and coumfortide hem, and departide of hise catels to ech man, as he myyte;
20 he fedde hungri men, and yaf clothis to nakid men, and he `yaf bisili sepulture to deed men and slayn.
21 Sotheli whanne the kyng Senacherib turnede ayen, fleynge fro Judee the veniaunce that God `hadde do aboute hym for his blasfemye, and he was wrooth, and killide many of the sones of Israel, Tobie biriede `the bodies of hem.
22 And aftir that it was teld to the kyng, he comaundide Tobie to be slayn, and he took awei al his catel.
23 Sotheli Tobie fledde with his sone and with his wijf, and was hid nakid, for many men loueden hym.
24 Forsothe after fyue and fourti daies, the sones of the kyng kyilliden the kyng; and Tobie turnede ayen to his hows,
25 and al his catel was restorid to hym.