Liber Thobis, 2

1. Et sub Asarhaddon rege de scendi in domum meam, et red dita est mihi uxor mea Anna et filius meus Thobias. In Pentecoste, die festo nostro, qui est sanctus a Septimanis, factum est mihi prandium bonum, et discubui, ut pranderem.

1. When I arrived home and my wife Anna and my son Tobias were restored to me, at the feast of Pentecost, which is the sacred festival of the seven weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me and I sat down to eat.

2. Et apposita est mihi mensa, et vidi pulmentaria complura. Et dixi Thobiae filio meo: “Vade et, quemcumque pauperem inveneris ex fratribus nostris, qui sunt captivi in Nineve, qui in mente habet Dominum in toto corde suo, hunc adduc, et manducabit pariter mecum; ecce sustineo te, fili, donec venias”.

2. Upon seeing the abundance of food I said to my son, "Go and bring whatever poor man of our brethren you may find who is mindful of the Lord, and I will wait for you."

3. Et abiit Thobias quaerere aliquem pauperem ex fratribus nostris et reversus dixit mihi: “Pater!”. Et ego dixi illi: “Ecce ego, fili”. Et respondens ait: “Ecce unus ex natione nostra occisus est et proiectus est in foro et nunc ibidem laqueo suffocatus est”.

3. But he came back and said, "Father, one of our people has been strangled and thrown into the market place."

4. Et exsiliens reliqui prandium, antequam ex illo gustarem, et sustuli eum de platea in unam domum, donec sol caderet, et illum sepelirem.

4. So before I tasted anything I sprang up and removed the body to a place of shelter until sunset.

5. Et reversus lavi et manducavi panem meum cum luctu

5. And when I returned I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow.

6. et rememoratus sum sermonis prophetae Amos, quem locutus est in Bethel dicens: “Convertentur omnes dies festi vestri in luctum, et omnia cantica vestra in lamentationem”.

6. Then I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said, "Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your festivities into lamentation." And I wept.

7. Et lacrimatus sum. Et, postquam sol occidit, abii et fodiens sepelivi illum.

7. When the sun had set I went and dug a grave and buried the body.

8. Et proximi mei deridebant me dicentes: “Non timet adhuc hic homo; iam enim inquisitus est huius rei causa, ut occideretur, et fugit et ecce iterum sepelit mortuos”.

8. And my neighbors laughed at me and said, "He is no longer afraid that he will be put to death for doing this; he once ran away, and here he is burying the dead again!"

9. Et lavi ea nocte, postquam illum sepelivi, et introivi in atrium meum et obdormivi circa parietem atrii, et facies mea nuda erat propter aestum.

9. On the same night I returned from burying him, and because I was defiled I slept by the wall of the courtyard, and my face was uncovered.

10. Et ignorabam quoniam passeres in pariete super me erant, quorum stercora insederunt in oculos meos calida et induxerunt albugines. Et ibam ad medicos, ut curarer, et, quanto inunxerunt me medicamentis, tanto magis oculi mei excaecabantur maculis, donec perexcaecatus sum. Et eram inutilis meis oculis annis quattuor, et omnes fratres mei dolebant pro me. Achicarus autem pascebat me annis duobus, priusquam iret in Elymaida.

10. I did not know that there were sparrows on the wall and their fresh droppings fell into my open eyes and white films formed on my eyes. I went to physicians, but they did not help me. Ahikar, however, took care of me until he went to Elymais.

11. In illo tempore Anna uxor mea mercede deserviebat operibus mulierum lanam faciens.

11. Then my wife Anna earned money at women's work.

12. Et remittebat dominis eorum, et dabant ei mercedem. Septima autem die mensis Dystri detexuit texturam et reddidit illam dominis, et dederunt ei mercedem totam et dederunt ei pro textura haedum de capris.

12. She used to send the product to the owners. Once when they paid her wages, they also gave her a kid;

13. Et cum introisset ad me haedus, coepit clamare. Et vocavi eam et dixi: “Unde est hic haedus? Ne forte furtivus sit, redde illum dominis suis; nobis enim non licet manducare quidquam furtivum”.

13. and when she returned to me it began to bleat. So I said to her, "Where did you get the kid? It is not stolen, is it? Return it to the owners; for it is not right to eat what is stolen."

14. Et illa mihi dixit: “Munere mihi datus est supra mercedem”. Et ego non credebam ei, sed dicebam, ut restitueret illum dominis, et erubescebam coram illa huius rei causa. Et respondens dixit mihi: “Et ubi sunt eleemosynae tuae? Ubi sunt iustitiae tuae? Ecce, omnia tibi nota sunt”.

14. And she said, "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; and I blushed for her. Then she replied to me, "Where are your charities and your righteous deeds? You seem to know everything!"