wall of my courtyard, being polluted; and my face was uncovered. 10 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† into Elymais.
11 My wife Anna wove cloth in the women’s chambers, 12 and sent the work back to the owners. They on their part paid her wages, and also gave her a kid. 13 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.” 14 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.‡”
3
1 I was grieved and wept, and prayed in sorrow, saying,
2 “O Lord, you are righteous, and all your works and all your ways are mercy and truth, and you judge true and righteous judgement forever. 3 Remember me, and look at me. Don’t take vengeance on me for my sins and my ignorances, and the sins of my fathers who sinned before you. 4 For they disobeyed your commandments. You gave us as plunder, for captivity, for death, and for a proverb of reproach to all the nations amongst whom we are dispersed. 5 Now your judgements are many and true, that you should deal with me according to my sins and the sins of my fathers, because we didn’t keep your commandments, for we didn’t walk in truth before you. 6 Now deal with me according to that which is pleasing in your sight. Command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be released, and become earth. For it is more profitable for me to die rather than to live, because I have heard false reproaches, and there is much sorrow in me. Command that I be released from my distress, now, and go to the everlasting place. Don’t turn your face away from me.”
7 The same day it happened to Sarah the daughter of Raguel in Ecbatana of Media, that she also was reproached by her father’s maidservants; 8 because that she had been given to seven husbands, and Asmodaeus the evil spirit† killed them, before they had lain with her. And they said to her, “Do you not know that you strangle your husbands? You have had already seven husbands, and you haven’t borne the name of any one of them. 9 Why do you scourge us? If they are dead, go your ways with them. Let us never see either son or daughter from you.” 10 When she heard these things, she was grieved exceedingly, so that she thought about hanging herself. Then she said, “I am the only daughter of my father. If I do this, it will be a reproach to him, and I will bring down his old age with sorrow to the grave.‡” 11 Then she prayed by the window, and said, “Blessed are you, O Lord my God, and blessed is your holy and honourable name forever! Let all your works praise you forever! 12 And now, Lord, I have set my eyes and my face towards you. 13 Command that I be released from the earth, and that I no longer hear reproach. 14 You know, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man, 15 and that I never polluted my name or the name of my father in the land of my captivity. I am the only daughter of my father, and he has no child that will be his heir, nor brother near him, nor son belonging to him, that I should keep myself for a wife to him. Seven husbands of mine are dead already. Why should I live? If it doesn’t please you to kill me, command some regard to be had of me, and pity taken of me, and that I hear no more reproach.”
16 The prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God. 17 Raphael also was sent to heal them both, to scale away the white films from Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind Asmodaeus the evil spirit§; because it belonged to Tobias that he should inherit her. At that very time, Tobit returned and entered into his house, and Sarah the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.
4
1 In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gabael in Rages of Media, 2 and he said to himself, I have asked for death; why do I not call my son Tobias, that I may explain to him about the money before I die? 3 And he called him, and said,
“My child, if I die, bury me. Don’t despise your mother. Honour her all the days of your life, and do that which is pleasing to her, and don’t grieve her. 4 Remember, my child, that she has seen many dangers for you, when you were in her womb. When she is dead, bury her by me in one grave. 5 My child, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and don’t let your will be set to sin and to transgress his commandments: do righteousness all the days of your life, and don’t follow the ways of unrighteousness. 6 For if you do what is true, your deeds will prosperously succeed for you, and for all those who do righteousness. 7 Give alms from your possessions. When you give alms, don’t let your eye be envious. Don’t turn away your face from any poor man, and the face of God won’t be turned away from you. 8 As your possessions are, give alms of it according to your abundance. If you have little, don’t be afraid to give alms according to that little; 9 for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity; 10 because alms-giving delivers from death, and doesn’t allow you to come into darkness. 11 Alms is a good gift in the sight of the Most High for all that give it. 12 Beware, my child, of all fornication, and take first a wife of the seed of your fathers. Don’t take a strange wife, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the descendants of the prophets. Remember, my child, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old time, all took wives of their kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed will inherit the land. 13 And now, my child, love your kindred, and don’t scorn your kindred and the sons and the daughters of your people in your heart, to take a wife of them; for in scornfulness is destruction and much trouble, and in idleness is decay and great lack; for idleness is the mother of famine. 14 Don’t let the wages of any man who works for you wait with you, but give it to him out of hand. If you serve God, you will be rewarded. Take heed to yourself, my child, in all your works, and be discreet in all your behaviour. 15 And what you yourself hate, do to no man. Don’t drink wine to drunkenness, and don’t let drunkenness go with you on your way. 16 Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your garments to those who are naked. Give alms from all your abundance. Don’t let your eye be envious when you give alms. 17 Pour out your bread on the burial† of the just, and give nothing to sinners. 18 Ask counsel of every man who is wise, and don’t despise any counsel that is profitable. 19 Bless the Lord your God at all times, and ask of him that your ways may be made straight, and that all your paths and counsels may prosper; for every nation has no counsel; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and he humbles whom he will, as he will. And now, my child, remember my commandments, and let them not be blotted out of your mind. 20 And now I explain to you about the ten talents of silver, which I left in trust with Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages of Media. 21 And fear not, my child, because we are made poor. You have much wealth, if you fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.”
5
1 Then Tobias answered and said to him, “Father, I will do all things, whatever you have commanded me. 2 But how could I receive the money, since I don’t know him?”
3 He gave him the handwriting, and said to him, “Seek a man who will go with you, and I will give him wages, while I still live; and go and receive the money.”
4 He went to seek a man, and found Raphael who was an angel; 5 and he didn’t know it. He said to him, “Can I go with you to Rages of Media? Do you know those