1In the reign of King Sarchedonos, I returned to my home, and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me. And on our feast of the Fiftieth Day, which is the holy feast of Weeks, a fine meal was prepared for me, and I reclined to eat.
2The table was set for me and many dishes were served, and I said to my son Tobias, “Child, go and find some poor person among our brothers, one of the exiles in Nineveh, who is mindful of the Lord with his whole heart. Bring him here, and he will eat together with me. And see, child, I will wait for you until you return.”
3So Tobias went to look for a poor person among our brothers. And returning, he said, “Father.” And I said to him, “Here I am, child.” And he answered and said, “Father, look, one of our people has been murdered and thrown into the marketplace, and he has just now been strangled there.”
4Leaping up, I left the meal before I had tasted it. I took him up from the public square and put him in one of the small rooms until the sun set, so that I could bury him.
5So after returning, I washed myself and ate my bread in mourning.
6And I remembered the word of the prophet that Amos spoke against Bethel, saying: “Your feasts will be turned into mourning, and all your ways into lamentation.”
7And I wept. And when the sun had set, I went and dug a grave and buried him.
8And my neighbors mocked me, saying, “Is he not afraid any longer? For he was already sought out to be killed for this matter, and he fled; and look, he is burying the dead again!”
9On that same night I washed myself and went into my courtyard. I slept by the courtyard wall with my face uncovered because of the heat.
10And I did not know that there were sparrows in the wall above me. Their droppings fell warm into my eyes and caused white films to form. I went to the physicians to be healed, but the more they treated me with their ointments, the more my eyes were blinded by the films, until I became completely blind. And I was disabled in my eyes for four years. All my brothers were grieved for me, and Achiacharus provided for me for two years, before he went to Elymais.
11At that time my wife Anna was doing women’s work for hire.
12She would send the finished work to its owners, and they would pay her the wage. On the seventh day of the month of Dystrus, she cut the cloth from the loom and sent it to the owners. They paid her the full wage and also gave her a young goat as a bonus.
13When she came into our home, the young goat began to bleat. I called her and said, “Where did this little goat come from? It is not stolen, is it? Return it to its owners, for we have no right to eat anything that is stolen.”
14But she said to me, “It was given to me as a gift on top of my wages.” But I did not believe her and kept telling her to return it to its owners, and I grew angry with her over this. Then she answered me, “So where are your alms? Where are your righteous deeds? Look, all this is well known in your case!”
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