took to wife Anna of his own tribe, and had a son by her, whom he called after his own name; and from his infancy he taught him to fear God, and to abstain from all sin.

-

In Captivity. And when by the captivity he with his wife and his son and all his tribe was come to the city of Ninive* (when all ate of the meats of the Gentiles), he kept his soul, and never was defiled with their meats. And because he was mindful of the Lord with all his heart, God gave him favour in the sight of Salmanasar the king. And he gave him leave to go whithersoever he would, with liberty to do whatever he had a mind. He therefore went to all that were in captivity, and gave them wholesome admonitions. And when he was come to Rages a city of the Medes, and had ten talents of silver of that with which he had been honoured by the king; and when amongst a great multitude of his kindred he saw Gabelus in want, who was one of his tribe, taking a note of his hand he gave him the aforesaid sum of money.

But after a long time, Salmanasar the king being dead, when Sennacherib his son, who reigned in his place, had a hatred for the children of Israel, Tobias daily went among all his kindred, and comforted them, and distributed to every one as he was able, out of his goods: he fed the hungry, and gave clothes to the naked, and was careful to bury the dead and they that were slain.

And when king Sennacherib was come back fleeing from Judea by reason of the slaughter that God had made about him for his blasphemy,† and being angry slew many of the children of Israel, Tobias buried their bodies. But when it was told the king, he commanded him to be slain, and took away all his substance. But Tobias fleeing naked away with his son and with his wife, lay concealed, for many loved him. But after fortyfive days the king was killed by his own sons. And Tobias returned to his house, and all his substance was restored to him.

SECT. CII. TOBIAS'S PERSEVERANCE IN GOOD WORKS UNDER POVERTY

AND OTHER TRIALS.

Tobias's holy Life.-But after this, when there was a festival Tobias II. of the Lord, and a good dinner was prepared in Tobias's house, 1-23. he said to his son: Go, and bring some of our tribe that fear God to feast with us. And when he had gone, returning he told him that one of the children of Israel lay slain in the street. And he forthwith leaped up from his place at the table, and left * In the reign of Achaz. In the reign of Ezechias. See section xciv.

Tubias III.

his dinner, and came fasting to the body and taking it up carried it privately to his house, that after the sun was down, he might bury it cautiously. And when he had hid the body, he ate bread with mourning and fear, remembering the word which the Lord spoke by Amos the prophet:* Your festival days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning. So when the sun was down, he went and buried it.

Now all his neighbours blamed him, saying: Once already commandment was given for thee to be slain because of this matter, and thou didst scarce escape the sentence of death; and dost thou again bury the dead? But Tobias fearing God more than the king, carried off the bodies of them that were slain, and hid them in his house, and at midnight buried them. Now it happened one day, that being wearied with burying, he came to his house, and cast himself down by the wall and slept. And as he was sleeping, hot dung out of a swallow's nest fell upon his eyes,

and he was made blind.

Now this trial the Lord therefore permitted to happen to him. that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, as of that of holy Job. For whereas he had always feared God from his infancy, and kept His commandments, he repined not against God because the evil of blindness had befallen him, but continued immovable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life. For as the kings insulted over holy Job, so his relations and kinsmen mocked at his life, saying: Where is thy hope, for which thou gavest alms and buriedst the dead? But Tobias rebuked them, saying: Speak not so: for we are the children of saints, and look for that life which God will give to those that never cease to trust in Him.

Now Anna his wife went daily to weaving work, and she brought home what she could get for their living by the labour of her hands. Whereby it came to pass that she received a young kid, and brought it home: and when her husband heard it bleating, he said: Take heed, lest perhaps it be stolen; restore ye it to its owners, for it is not lawful for us either to eat or to touch any thing that cometh by theft. At these words his wife being angry answered: It is evident thy hope is come to nothing, and thy alms now appear. And with these and other such like words she upbraided him.

His Resignation.-Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray 1-6. with tears, saying: Thou art just, O Lord, and all Thy judgments are just, and all Thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment: and now, O Lord. think of me, and take not revenge of my sins,

*Amos viii. 10.

For

neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents.
we have not obeyed Thy commandments; therefore are we de-
livered to spoil, and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable
and a reproach to all nations, amongst which Thou hast scattered
us. And now, O Lord, great are Thy judgments, because we
have not done according to Thy precepts, and have not walked
sincerely before Thee: and now, O Lord, do with me according
to Thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace:
for it is better for me to die than to live.

SECT. CIII. TOBIAS'S INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS SON. HE SENDS HIM TO

RAGES.

1-23.

Tobias's Counsels to his Son.-Therefore, when Tobias thought Tobias IV, that his prayer was heard that he might die, he called to him Tobias his son, and said to him: Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and lay them as a foundation in thy heart: when God shall take my soul, thou shalt bury my body: and thou shalt honour thy mother all the days of her life: for thou must be mindful what and how great perils she suffered for thee in her womb. And when she also shall have ended the time of her life, bury her by me.

And all the days of thy life have God in thy mind: and take heed thou never consent to sin, nor transgress the commandments of the Lord our God. Give alms out of thy substance, and turn not away thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee. According to thy ability be merciful. If thou have much, give abundantly: if thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little. For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity. For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness. Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it.

Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from all impurity, and beside thy wife never endure to know woman. Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy words: for from it all perdition took its beginning. If any man hath done any work for thee, immediately pay him his hire, and let not the wages of thy hired servant stay with thee at all. See thou never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another. Eat thy bread with the hungry and the needy, and with thy garments cover the naked. Lay out thy bread and thy wine upon the burial of a just man, and do not eat and drink thereof with the wicked. Seek counsel always of a wise man. Bless God at all

Tobias v.

1-28.

times and desire of Him to direct thy ways, and that all thy counsels may abide in Him.

He sends him to Rages.-I tell thee also, my son, that I lent ten talents of silver, while thou wast yet a child, to Gabelus, in Rages, a city of the Medes,* and I have a note of his hand with me: now therefore inquire how thou mayst go to him, and receive of him the foresaid sum of money, and restore to him the note of his hand. Fear not, my son we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.

Then Tobias answered his father, and said: I will do all things, father, which thou hast commanded me. But how I shall get this money, I cannot tell; he knoweth not me, and I know not him: what token shall I give him? nor did I ever know the way which leadeth thither. Then his father answered him, and said I have a note of his hand with me, which when thou shalt show him, he will presently pay it. But go now, and seek thee out some faithful man to go with thee for his hire, that thou mayst receive it while I yet live.

The Angel Raphael.-Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk. And not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him, and said: From whence art thou, good young man ? But he answered: Of the children of Israel.+ And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that leadeth to the country of the Medes? And he answered: I know it: and I have often walked through all the ways thereof, and I have abode with Gabelus our brother, who dwelleth at Rages a city of the Medes, which is situate in the mount of Ecbatana. And Tobias said to him Stay for me, I beseech thee, till I tell these same things to my father.

Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father. Upon which his father being in admiration, desired that he would come in unto him. So going in he saluted him, and said: Joy be to thee always. And Tobias said: What manner of joy shall be to me, who sit in darkness, and see not the light of heaven? And the young man said to him: Be of good courage, thy cure from God is at hand.

And Tobias said to him: Canst thou conduct my son to Gabelus at Rages a city of the Medes? and when thou shalt return, I will pay thee thy hire. And the angel said to him: I

The same as Ecbatana.

†The angel, who desired at present to withhold the knowledge of who he was, represented himself as belonging to the Israelites, whom he came to defend.

will conduct him thither, and bring him back to thee. And Tobias said to him: I pray thee, tell me, of what family, or what tribe art thou? And Raphael the angel answered: Dost thou seek the family of him thou hirest, or the hired servant himself to go with thy son? But lest I should make thee uneasy, I am Azarias the son of the great Ananias.* And Tobias answered: Thou art of a great family. But I pray thee be not angry that I desired to know thy family. And the angel said to him: I will lead thy son safe, and bring him to thee again safe. And Tobias answering, said: May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and His angel accompany you. Then all things being ready that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bid his mother and his father farewell, and they set out both together.

And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say: Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us. I wish the money for which thou hast sent him had never been. For our poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches, that we saw our son. And Tobias said to her: Weep not: our son will arrive thither safe, and will return safe to us, and thy eyes shall see him. For I believe that the good angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy. At these words his mother ceased weeping, and held her peace.†

SECT. CIV. TOBIAS'S RETURN TO HIS PARENTS. THE ANGEL DISCOVERS

HIMSELF.

But as Tobias made longer stay upon occasion of the marri- Tobias x age, Tobias his father was solicitous, saying: Why thinkest thou 1–13. doth my son tarry, or why is he detained there? Is Gabelus dead, thinkest thou, and no man will pay him the money? And he began to be exceeding sad, both he and Anna his wife with him and they began both to weep together, because their son did not return to them on the day appointed. But his mother wept and was quite disconsolate, and said: Wo, wo is me, my son, why did we send thee to go to a strange country, the light of our

* The angel took the form of Azarias, and therefore might call himself by the name of the man whom he personated. Azarias, in Hebrew, signifies the help of God, and Ananias the grace of God. DOUAY BIBLE.

Tobias, on arriving at Rages, stayed, by the advice of the angel, at the house of Raguel, their kinsman, and there became acquainted with his daughter Sara, whom he married. The angel instructed him how, by prayer and purity of heart, to overcome the attacks of the devil, who had prevailed against seven other persons that were to have married Sara.