Tobías 2

EL LIBRO DEL PUEBLO DE DIOS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Durante el reinado de Asaradón regresé a mi casa y me devolvieron a mi mujer Ana y a mi hijo Tobías. En nuestra fiesta de Pentecostés, que es la santa fiesta de las siete Semanas, me prepararon una buena comida y yo me dispuse a comer.	1 Thus under King Esarhaddon I returned to my home, and my wife Anna and my son Tobiah were restored to me. Then on our festival of Pentecost, the feast of Weeks, a fine dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
2 Cuando me encontré con la mesa llena de manjares, le dije a mi hijo Tobías: «Hijo mío, ve a buscar entre nuestros hermanos deportados en Nínive a algún pobre que se acuerde de todo corazón del Señor, y tráelo para que comparta mi comida. Yo esperaré hasta que tú vuelvas».	2 The table was set for me, and when many different dishes were placed before me, I said to my son Tobiah: "My son, go out and try to find a poor man from among our kinsmen exiled here in Nineveh. If he is a sincere worshiper of God, bring him back with you, so that he can share this meal with me. Indeed, son, I shall wait for you to come back."
3 Tobías salió a buscar a un pobre entre nuestros hermanos, pero regresó, diciéndome: «¡Padre!». Yo le pregunté: «¿Qué te pasa, hijo?». Y él agregó: «Padre, uno de nuestro pueblo ha sido asesinado: lo acaban de estrangular en la plaza del mercado, y su cadáver está tirado allí».	3 Tobiah went out to look for some poor kinsman of ours. When he returned he exclaimed, "Father!" I said to him, "What is it, son?" He answered, "Father, one of our people has been murdered! His body lies in the market place where he was just strangled!"
4 Entonces me levanté rápidamente, y, sin probar la comida, fue a retirar el cadáver de la plaza, y lo deposité en una habitación para enterrarlo al atardecer.	4 I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched; and I carried the dead man from the street and put him in one of the rooms, so that I might bury him after sunset.
5 Al volver, me lavé y me puse a comer muy apenado,	5 Returning to my own quarters, I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow.
6 recordando las palabras del profeta Amós contra Betel: «Sus fiestas se convertirán en duelo y todos sus cantos en lamentaciones».	6 I was reminded of the oracle pronounced by the prophet Amos against Bethel: "Your festivals shall be turned into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation."
7 Y me puse a llorar. A la caída del sol, cavé una fosa y enterré el cadáver.	7 And I wept. Then at sunset I went out, dug a grave, and buried him.
8 Mis vecinos se burlaban de mí, diciendo: «¡Todavía no ha escarmentado! Por este mismo motivo ya lo buscaron para matarlo. ¡Apenas pudo escapar, y ahora vuelve a enterrar a los muertos!».	8 The neighbors mocked me, saying to one another: "Will this man never learn! Once before he was hunted down for execution because of this very thing; yet now that he has escaped, here he is again burying the dead!"
9 Aquella misma noche, después de bañarme, salí al patio y me acosté a dormir junto a la pared, con la cara descubierta a causa del calor.	9 That same night I bathed, and went to sleep next to the wall of my courtyard. Because of the heat I left my face uncovered.
10 Yo no sabía que arriba, en la pared, había unos gorriones; de pronto, su estiércol caliente cayó sobre mis ojos, produciéndome unas manchas blancas. Me hice atender por los médicos, pero cuantos más remedios me aplicaban, menos veías a causa de las manchas, hasta que me quedé completamente ciego. Así estuve cuatro años privado de la vista, y todos mis parientes estaban afligidos. Ajicar me proveyó de lo necesario durante dos años, hasta que partió para Elimaida.	10 I did not know there were birds perched on the wall above me, till their warm droppings settled in my eyes, causing cataracts. I went to see some doctors for a cure, but the more they anointed my eyes with various salves, the worse the cataracts became, until I could see no more. For four years I was deprived of eyesight, and all my kinsmen were grieved at my condition. Ahiqar, however, took care of me for two years, until he left for Elymais.
11 Desde ese momento, mi esposa Ana empezó a trabajar en labores femeninas: hilaba lana,	11 At that time my wife Anna worked for hire at weaving cloth, the kind of work women do.
12 enviaba el tejido a sus clientes y recibía el pago correspondiente. Una vez, el siete del mes de Distros, terminó un tejido y lo entregó a sus clientes. Estos le pagaron lo que correspondía y, además, le regalaron un cabrito para comer.	12 When she sent back the goods to their owners, they would pay her. Late in winter she finished the cloth and sent it back to the owners. They paid her the full salary, and also gave her a young goat for the table.
13 Cuando entró en mi casa, el cabrito comenzó a balar. Yo llamé a mi mujer y le pregunté: «¿De dónde salió este cabrito? ¿No habría sido robado? Devuélvelo a sus dueños, porque no podemos comer nada robado»,	13 On entering my house the goat began to bleat. I called to my wife and said: "Where did this goat come from? Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners; we have no right to eat stolen food!"
14 Ella me respondió: «¡Pero si es un regalo que me han hecho, además del pago!». Yo no le creí e insistía en que lo devolviera a sus dueños, llegando a enojarme con ella por este asunto. Entonces ella me replicó: «¿Para qué te sirvieron tus limosnas y tus obras de justicia? ¡Ahora se ve bien claro!».	14 But she said to me, "It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages." Yet I would not believe her, and told her to give it back to its owners. I became very angry with her over this. So she retorted: "Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!"