The Book of Tobit (Tobias)

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- Kapitel 2 -

Tobias leaves his dinner to bury the dead: he loses his sight by God’s permission, for manifestation of his patience.

In truth, after this, when there was a feast day of the Lord, and a good dinner had been prepared in the house of Tobit,

he said to his son: “Go, and bring some others who fear God from our tribe to feast with us.”

And after he had gone, returning, he reported to him that one of the sons of Israel, with his throat cut, was lying in the street. And immediately, he leapt from his place reclining at table, left behind his dinner, and went forth with fasting to the body.

And taking it up, he carried it in secret to his house, so that, after the sun had set, he might bury him cautiously.

And after he had hidden the body, he chewed his bread with mourning and fear,

remembering the word that the Lord spoke through the prophet Amos: “Your feast days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.”

Truly, when the sun had set, he went out, and he buried him.

Yet all his neighbors argued with him, saying: “Now, an order was given to execute you because of this matter, and you barely escaped a death sentence, and again you are burying the dead?”

But Tobit, fearing God more than the king, stole away the bodies of the slain and concealed them in his house, and in the middle of the night, he buried them.

But it happened one day, being tired from burying the dead, he came into his house, and he threw himself down next to the wall, and he slept.

And, as he was sleeping, warm droppings from a swallow’s nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind.

And so the Lord permitted this trial to befall him, in order that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, which is even like that of holy Job.

For, even from his infancy, he had always feared God and kept his commandments, so he was not discouraged before God because of the scourge of blindness that had befallen him.

But he remained immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life.

For just as kings have mocked blessed Job, so also his relatives and acquaintances ridiculed his life, saying:(a)

(b)

“Where is your hope, on behalf of which you gave alms and buried the dead?”

In truth, Tobit corrected them, saying: “Do not speak in this way,

for we are the sons of the holy ones, and we look forward to that life which God will give to those who never change in their faith before him.”

In truth, his wife Anna went out to weaving work daily, and she brought back the provisions that she was able to obtain by the labor of her hands.

Whereupon it happened that, having received a young goat, she brought it home.

When her husband heard the sound of its bleating, he said, “Look, so that it might not be stolen, return it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat, or to touch, anything stolen.”

At this, his wife, being angry, answered, “Clearly, your hope has become vanity, and the manner of your almsgiving has become apparent.”

And with these and other similar such words, she reproached him.

Fußnoten

(a)2:15 In this context, parentes is more general than the English word ‘parents,’ encompassing his parents, grandparents, and probably any older relatives of previous generations who would see Tobit as subordinate to them. The word ‘cognati’ refers even more generally to people knew Tobit, such as friends and acquaintances. It can also be used as one word referring to both relatives and friends.(Conte)

(b)2:15 Kings:So Job’s three friends are here called, because they were princes in their respective territories.(Challoner)

Tobias leaves his dinner to bury the dead: he loses his sight by God’s permission, for manifestation of his patience.

Now when I had come home again, and my wife Anna was restored to me, and my son Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy feast of the seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared for me, and I sat down to eat.

I saw abundance of meat, and I said to my son, “Go and bring whatever poor man you find of our kindred, who is mindful of the Lord. Behold, I wait for you.”

Then he came, and said, “Father, one of our race is strangled, and has been cast out in the marketplace.”

Before I had tasted anything, I sprang up, and took him up into a chamber until the sun had set.

Then I returned, washed myself, ate my bread in heaviness,

and remembered the prophecy of Amos, as he said, (a)“Your feasts will be turned into mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.

So I wept: and when the sun had set, I went and dug a grave, and buried him.

My neighbors mocked me, and said, “He is no longer afraid to be put to death for this matter; and yet he fled away. Behold, he buries the dead again.”

The same night I returned from burying him, and slept by the wall of my courtyard, being polluted; and my face was uncovered.

I didn’t know that there were sparrows in the wall. My eyes were open and the sparrows dropped warm dung into my eyes, and white films came over my eyes. I went to the physicians, and they didn’t help me; but Achiacharus nourished me, until I went(b) into Elymais.

My wife Anna wove cloth in the women’s chambers,

and sent the work back to the owners. They on their part paid her wages, and also gave her a kid.

But when it came to my house, it began to cry, and I said to her, “Where did this kid come from? Is it stolen? Give it back to the owners; for it is not lawful to eat anything that is stolen.”

But she said, “It has been given to me for a gift more than the wages.” I didn’t believe her, and I asked her to return it to the owners; and I was ashamed of her. But she answered and said to me, “Where are your alms and your righteous deeds? Behold, you and all your works are known.(c)”

Fußnoten

(a)2:6 ℘ Amos 8:10

(b)2:10 Some authorities read until he went.