Your many judgments are true: Good News Translation omits from Tobit’s confession at this point that God’s judgments are justified or true, and spells this out in a separate line at the end of the verse. “My ancestors” (Good News Translation) are not mentioned here in Greek but they are included in the first person plural verbs of the latter part of the verse. Tobit shifts focus in the prayer from the sin of the community to his own sin, and confesses the justice of God’s punishment on himself as well as on his people (compare the shifting of first singular and first plural in Psa 108).

In exacting penalty from me for my sins means “You have punished me for my sins [or, for sinning against you].”

For we have not kept your commandments: See disobeyed your commandments at 3.4.

Have not walked in accordance with truth before you: The phrase in accordance with truth is simply the adverb “truly” in Greek. Good News Translation translates the line as “We were disloyal,” and Contemporary English Version has “we weren’t faithful to you.” The final two lines in New Revised Standard Version are expressed by Good News Translation as “We were disloyal and rejected your commands.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Tobit. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.