7 I would always take these offerings to the temple and give them to the priests at the altar. And I would always bring to Jerusalem the tenth of my grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and other kinds of fruit, and I would give this tenth to the Levites who served in the temple. Also, for six years out of seven, I would sell a second tenth of my harvest and take the money to Jerusalem and spend it there on a celebration.
8 When I was young, my father died and left me as an orphan. So it was my grandmother Deborah who told me to be careful and obey what the Law of Moses commanded about taking care of orphans and widows and of those who had come from other countries to become part of Israel. That's why every third year, I would set aside a third tenth of my harvest and use part of it to hold a festival for them. Then I would give them the rest.
9 When I was old enough, I married a woman from my own tribe, and we had a son. I named him Tobias.
10 Later, after we were led away to Assyria as prisoners, we went to live in the city of Nineveh. All my brothers and other relatives ate the same food as everyone else in Assyria.
11 But I decided to eat only what was allowed by the Law of Moses.
12 Obeying God was the most important thing in my life.
13 That's why God Most High made King Shalmaneser so pleased with me. Shalmaneser even put me in charge of buying all the supplies for his palace,