1 I returned to my home while Esarhaddon was king; my wife Anna and my son Tobias were allowed to come back to me.That year at the Harvest Festival, which is also called the Festival of Weeks, a wonderful dinner was prepared for me, and I sat down to eat.
2 But so much food was put on the table that I said to Tobias, “Son, many other Israelites were brought to Nineveh as captives. Go out and find someone who is poor and very loyal to God. Bring him here to share this meal with us. We will wait until you get back.”
3 Tobias went out to look for some Israelites who were poor. But he returned alone and said, “Father!”“What's the matter?” I asked.“An Israelite has been murdered!” Tobias answered. “He was strangled, then his body was thrown down and left lying in the street.”
4 We had not started eating, and so I jumped up from the table and went to the street where the body was. I brought it back to my own home and left it in one of the rooms, because I could not bury it until after dark.
5 Then I washed myself and ate the festival meal, but I was very sad.
6 I remembered that the prophet Amos had said, “Your festivals and joyful singing will turn into sorrow,” and