8 “All right,” he answered. “I'll wait, but don't take too long.”
9 When Tobias returned home, he said to me, “Father, I have found an Israelite, and he is one of our relatives!”“Ask him to come here,” I replied. “I want to know something about his family and tribe, so I can decide if he can be trusted to go with you to Rages.”
10 Tobias invited the young man to come in and meet me, and I immediately greeted him. The young man replied, “Sir, I hope all goes well for you.”“How can anything go well for me?” I answered. “I am as blind as a dead man in the dark! In fact, I may as well be dead, because I hear people, but I can't see them.”The young man told me, “Cheer up! God will soon heal you.”Then I said, “My son Tobias wants to go to Media. And I will pay you, if you can go along and show him the way.”He replied, “Yes, I can. I've been there many times, and I know all the roads through the valleys and across the mountains.”
11 Then I said, “Tell me, my friend, what family and tribe are you from?”
12 “Why do you want to know?” the young man asked.I answered, “I just want to know for certain who your father is and what your name is.”
13 The young man said, “My name is Azariah, and I am the son of Hananiah, a great man who was one of your relatives.”
14 I replied:Then you are welcome here, my brother, and I pray that God will protect you. Please don't be upset with me; I had to find out for certain what family you are from. You really are one of our relatives, and you come from a good family. I knew Hananiah and his brother Nathan, the sons of Shemeliah. Hananiah was a great man! He and Nathan used to go to Jerusalem with me to worship, and they never worshiped other gods. Yes, you come from a very good family, and you are most welcome in our home!