Tobit 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 In the days of[a] Esar-haddon[b] I returned home, and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me. At our Festival of Pentecost, which is the sacred Festival of Weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.(A) 2 When the table had been set for me and an abundance of food placed before me, I said to my son Tobias, “Go, my son, and bring whatever poor person you may find of our kindred among the exiles in Nineveh who is wholeheartedly mindful of God,[c] and he shall eat together with me. I will wait for you, my son, until you come back.” 3 So Tobias went to look for some poor person of our kindred. When he had returned he said, “Father!” And I replied, “Here I am, my son.” Then he went on to say, “Look, father, one of our own nation has been killed and thrown into the marketplace, and now he lies there strangled.” 4 Then I sprang up, left the dinner before even tasting it, and removed him from the square and laid him in one of the outbuildings at my home until sunset, when I might bury him. 5 When I returned, I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow. 6 Then I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said against Bethel,
“Your festivals shall be turned into mourning
and all your songs[d] into lamentation.”
And I wept.(B)
Tobit Becomes Blind
7 When the sun had set, I went and dug a grave and buried him.(C) 8 And my neighbors laughed and said, “Is he still not afraid? He has already been hunted down to be put to death for doing this, and he ran away, yet here he is again burying the dead!”(D) 9 That same night I washed myself and went into my courtyard and lay down by the wall of the courtyard; my face was uncovered because of the heat.(E) 10 I did not know that there were sparrows on the wall; their fresh droppings fell into my eyes and produced white films. I went to physicians to be healed, but the more they treated me with ointments, the more my vision was obscured by the white films, until I became completely blind. For four years I remained unable to see. All my kindred were sorry for me, and Ahikar took care of me for two years before he went to Elymais.(F)
Tobit’s Wife Earns Their Livelihood
11 At that time my wife Anna earned money at women’s work. 12 She used to send what she made to the owners, and they would pay wages to her. One day, the seventh of Dystrus, when she cut off a piece she had woven and sent it to the owners, they paid her full wages and also gave her a young goat for a meal. 13 When it came toward me, the goat began to bleat, so I called her and said, “Where did you get this goat? It is surely not stolen, is it? Return it to the owners, for we have no right to eat anything stolen.”(G) 14 But she said to me, “It was given to me as a gift in addition to my wages.” But I did not believe her and told her to return it to the owners. I became flushed with anger against her over this. Then she replied to me, “Where are your acts of charity? Where are your righteous deeds? These things are known about you!”[e](H)
Tobit 2
Common English Bible
2 When I returned to my house in the time of King Esarhaddon, my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me.
Tobit is blinded
During our Festival of Pentecost, which is the holy Festival of Weeks, a splendid meal was cooked for me, and I lay down to eat. 2 The table was set before me, and many fine foods were brought to me. Then I said to my son Tobias, “Go, my son, and find one of our poorer relatives captive here in Nineveh, someone who pays attention to God with all his heart. Bring him here to eat with me. I will wait here, son, until you return.”
3 Tobias left to find some poor person among our relatives. When he returned, he said, “Father?”
I answered, “I’m here, my son.”
He exclaimed, “Father, one of our people has been murdered and tossed into the marketplace; his strangled body is just lying there.”
4 I got up and left the meal before tasting it. I removed the body from the street and placed it in one of the smaller houses until sunset when I would bury it. 5 Then, when I returned, I washed myself and ate my food in sadness. 6 I remembered the word that Amos the prophet pronounced against Bethel: Your festivals will be transformed into sadness and all your songs[a] into sorrowful wailing.[b] And I wept.
7 After sunset I went out, dug a hole, and buried him. 8 My neighbors made fun of me, saying, “Is he no longer afraid that he will be killed for doing this kind of thing? He ran away, but now look: he is burying the dead again!”
9 That night I washed myself and went into my courtyard and fell asleep alongside the courtyard wall, with my face uncovered because of the heat. 10 I didn’t know that there were sparrows in the wall above me, and their warm droppings fell into my eyes, forming white spots. I went to doctors to be healed, but the more they applied their medicines on me, the worse the white spots became until I was completely blinded. I couldn’t see with my eyes for four years. All my relatives felt sorry for me, and Ahikar took care of me for two years until he went to Elymais.
Tobit’s plight worsens
11 At that time my wife Anna made a living by weaving cloth out of wool.[c] 12 She would send the cloth to the wool suppliers,[d] and they would pay her for it. On the seventh day of Dystrus,[e] she finished a piece on the loom for her employers. They gave her the full wages, along with a young goat from their herd for her home. 13 When it approached me, the kid began to bleat. So I called to Anna and said, “Where does this goat come from? It isn’t stolen, is it? Return it to its owners, for we have no right to eat anything that is stolen!”
14 But she said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus in addition to my pay.” I didn’t believe her and demanded that she return it to the owners. I grew red with anger at her. But she replied and said to me, “And what’s become of your charitable donations? What’s become of your righteous deeds? You have a reputation for that sort of thing, don’t you?!”[f]
Footnotes
- Tobit 2:6 Gk paths
- Tobit 2:6 Amos 8:10
- Tobit 2:11 Gk by doing women’s work
- Tobit 2:12 Or to its owners
- Tobit 2:12 March
- Tobit 2:14 Gk Where are your charitable donations now? Where are your righteous deeds? See, these things are known about you!
Tobit 2
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
2 But after this, when there was a festival of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias's house,
2 He said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe that fear God, to feast with us.
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 And taking it up carried it privately to his house, that after the sun was down, he might bury him cautiously.
5 And when he had hid the body, he ate bread with mourning and fear,
6 Remembering the word which the Lord spoke by Amos the prophet: Your festival days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.
7 So when the sun was down, he went and buried him.
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 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 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 And as he was sleeping, hot dung out of a swallow's nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.
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 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 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.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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