The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Tobias
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Chapter 2
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Soon after this, one of the Lord’s feast-days came round, and Tobias, his table richly spread,
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would have his son go out and invite fellow-tribesmen and fellow-worshippers of theirs, to share the banquet.
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Go out he did, but came back bearing ill news; he had found an Israelite lying murdered in the open street. His father, without more ado, sprang up from where he sat, leaving his dinner untasted; he would not break his fast till he had found the body,
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wrapped it about and carried it home with him, to bury it in secret when night fell.
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A sad and anxious meal was his, with such a guest hidden under his roof;
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he remembered those words the Lord had put into the mouth of Amos, Your feast-days shall end in lamentation and sad thoughts.
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Night fell at last, and the body was buried in safety;
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but his neighbours shook their heads over it, Here was sentence of death passed on thee for such doings of thine; from that sentence thou wast barely reprieved, and art thou back at thy grave-digging?
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But still Tobias feared God much, and the king little; still the bodies of murdered men were stolen away, hidden in his house, and at dead of night buried.

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But toil brought weariness, and one morning, when he came home, he threw himself down in the shadow of the wall, and quickly fell asleep.
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As he slept, warm droppings from a swallow’s nest fell into his eyes, and he became blind.
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This was but a trial which the Lord allowed to befall him, so that he might leave to later ages, as God’s servant Job did, a document of patience.
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Here was a man that had feared God and obeyed his commandments from infancy; he was smitten with blindness; did he thereupon complain, God was using him ill?
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No, he remained as stout-hearted a worshipper of God as before, and never a day passed but he returned thanks for the gift of life.
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Kinsman and clansman might taunt him, as Job was taunted by his fellow chieftains; might call him a fool for his pains,
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and ask whether this was the reward he had hoped for when he gave alms, and went a-burying;
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Tobias took them up short. Nay, said he, never talk thus;
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we come of holy stock, you and I, and God has life waiting for us if we will but keep faith with him.
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His wife Anna went every day to work at the loom, bringing home what earnings she could;
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and one day it was a kid that was given her for her wages. When she brought this home,
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and its bleating reached her husband’s ears, he made great ado for fear it had been stolen; Nay, he said, this must be restored to its owner; never shall it be said that we ate stolen food, or soiled our hands with theft!
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Fine talk, said she, but the like hopes have played thee false already; what hast thou to shew, now, for all thy almsgiving?
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With such taunts as these even his wife assailed him.