The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .ii. Chapter.

1 Tobias calleth the faythfull to his table. 3 He leaueth the feast to burie the dead. 10 Howe he became blind. 13 His wife laboureth for his liuing. 16 She reprocheth hym bitterly.

[illustration]

[unspec A] 1 AFter those thinges, vp∣pon a solempne day of the Lorde, Tobias made a good feast in his house,

2 And sayde vnto his sonne: Go thy way, & bring hyther some of our tribe, suche as feare God, that they may make mery with vs.

3 And when he was gone, he came a∣gaine, and told his father that one of the children of Israel lay slayne vpon the streete.

4 And immediatly he leapt from his ta∣ble, left the feast, came fasting to the dead coarse, toke him and bare him priuyly into his house, that when the sunne was downe he might safely burie him.

5 And when he had hyd the coarse, he did eate his meate with mourning and feare,

6 Remembring the wordes that the Lord sayde by the * 1.1 prophete Amos: Your hye feastes shalbe turned to sorowe and hea∣uinesse.

[unspec B] 7 But when the sunne was downe, he went his way and buried him.

8 Then al his “ 1.2 neyghbours reproued him, saying: It is not long sence it was com∣maunded to slay thee because of this matter, and hast scarce escaped the daun∣ger of death: and buriest thou the dead againe?

9 Neuerthelesse, Tobias fearing God more then the king, toke the bodies of the slayne, and hyd them in his house, and buried them at midnights.

10 It happened vpon a day that he had buried the dead and was weery, came home and layed him downe by the wal, and slept.

11 And whyle he was asleepe, there fell downe vpon his eyes warme doung out of the swalloes nest, so that he was blinde.

12 This temptation dyd God suffer to happen vnto him, that they which came after, might haue an example of his pa∣cience, like as of holy Iob.

13 For in so much as he euer feared God from his youth vp, and kept his com∣maundementes, he grudged not against God that the plague of blindnesse chaunced vnto hym:

14 But remayned stedfast in the feare [unspec C] of God, and thanked God all the dayes of his lyfe.

15 For like as blessed Iob was had in de∣••sion of kinges: euen so was he laughed to scorne of his elders and kinsfolkes, which sayde vnto him:

16 Where is thy hope, for the whiche thou hast done almes and buried the dead?

17 But Tobias rebuked them, and spake: Say not so,

19 For we are the children of holy men, and loke for the lyfe whiche God shall geue vnto them that neuer turne their beliefe from him.

19 And Anna his wyfe went dayly to the weauing worke:

20 And loke what liuing she coulde get with the labour of her handes, she brought it. And it happened that she toke a byd, and brought it home:

21 And when her husband hearde it crye, [unspec D] he sayde, Loke that it be not stollen: re∣store it againe to the owners, for it is not lawfull for vs to eate or to touch any thing of theft.

22 Then was his wyfe angry, and sayde: Nowe is thy hope become vayne open∣ly, and thy almes deedes are manifest.

23 With these and such like wordes did she cast him in the teeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Amos. viii c
• “ 1.2

  Or, His next of kinne.