Tobit 2

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the reign of Esarhaddon, therefore, I returned home, and my wife Anna was restored to me with myson Tobias. At our feast of Pentecost (the feast of Weeks) there was a good dinner. I took my place for the meal;	1 But after this, when there was a festival of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias's house,
2 the table was brought to me and various dishes were brought. I then said to my son Tobias, 'Go, mychild, and seek out some poor, loyal-hearted man among our brothers exiled in Nineveh, and bring him to sharemy meal. I wil wait until you come back, my child.'	2 He said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe that fear God, to feast with us.
3 So Tobias went out to look for some poor man among our brothers, but he came back again and said,'Father!' I replied, 'What is it, my child?' He went on, 'Father, one of our nation has just been murdered; he hasbeen strangled and then thrown down in the market place; he is there still.'	3 And when he had gone, returning he told him, that one of the children of Israel lay slain in the street. And he forthwith leaped up from his place at the table, and left his dinner, and came fasting to the body:
4 I sprang up at once, left my meal untouched, took the man from the market place and laid him in one ofmy rooms, waiting until sunset to bury him.	4 And taking it up carried it privately to his house, that after the sun was down, he might bury him cautiously.
5 I came in again and washed myself and ate my bread in sorrow,	5 And when he had hid the body, he ate bread with mourning and fear,
6 remembering the words of the prophet Amos concerning Bethel: I shal turn your festivals into mourningand all your singing into lamentation.	6 Remembering the word which the Lord spoke by Amos the prophet: Your festival days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.
7 And I wept. When the sun was down, I went and dug a grave and buried him.	7 So when the sun was down, he went and buried him.
8 My neighbours laughed and said, 'See! He is not afraid any more.' (You must remember that a pricehad been set on my head earlier for this very thing.) 'Once before he had to flee, yet here he is, beginning tobury the dead again.'	8 Now all his neighbours blamed him, saying: Once already commandment was given for thee to be slain because of this matter, and thou didst scarce escape the sentence of death, and dost thou again bury the dead?
9 That night I took a bath; then I went into the courtyard and lay down by the courtyard wall. Since it washot I left my face uncovered.	9 But Tobias fearing God more than the king, carried off the bodies of them that were slain, and hid them in his house, and at midnight buried them.
10 I did not know that there were sparrows in the wal above my head; their hot droppings fel into myeyes. This caused white spots to form, which I went to have treated by the doctors. But the more ointments theytried me with, the more the spots blinded me, and in the end, I became completely blind. I remained without sightfour years; al my brothers were distressed on my behalf; and Ahikar provided for my upkeep for two years, untilhe left for Elymais.	10 Now it happened one day, that being wearied with burying, he came to his house, and cast himself down by the wall and slept,
11 My wife Anna then undertook woman's work; she would spin wool and take cloth to weave;	11 And as he was sleeping, hot dung out of a swallow's nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.
12 she used to deliver whatever had been ordered from her and then receive payment. Now on theseventh day of the month of Dystros, she finished a piece of work and delivered it to her customers. They paidher al that was due, and into the bargain presented her with a kid for a meal.	12 Now this trial the Lord therefore permitted to happen to him, that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, as also of holy Job.
13 When the kid came into my house, it began to bleat. I called to my wife and said, 'Where does thiscreature come from? Suppose it has been stolen! Let the owners have it back; we have no right to eat stolengoods'.	13 For whereas he had always feared God from his infancy, and kept his commandments, he repined not against God because the evil of blindness had befallen him,
14 She said, 'No, it was a present given me over and above my wages.' I did not believe her, and told herto give it back to the owners (I felt deeply ashamed of her). To which, she replied, 'What about your own alms?What about your own good works? Everyone knows what return you have had for them.'	14 But continued immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life.
	15 For as the kings insulted over holy Job: so his relations and kinsmen mocked at his life, saying:
	16 Where is thy hope, for which thou gavest alms, and buriedst the dead?
	17 But Tobias rebuked them, saying: Speak not so:
	18 For we are the children of the saints, and look for that life which God will give to those that never change their faith from him.
	19 Now Anna his wife went daily to weaving work, and she brought home what she could get for their living by the labour of her hands.
	20 Whereby it came to pass, that she received a young kid, and brought it home:
	21 And when her husband heard it bleating, he said: Take heed, lest perhaps it be stolen: restore ye it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to touch any thing that cometh by theft.
	22 At these words his wife being angry answered: It is evident thy hope is come to nothing, and thy alms now appear.
	23 And with these, and other such like words she upbraided him.