Tobit Loses His Sight

One night, Tobit came back after burying a dead man. Because he was ceremonially unclean, he slept by the wall of his courtyard with his face uncovered. He did not know there were sparrows in the wall above him.

As he lay there with his eyes open, the sparrows dropped warm dung into his eyes. White films came over them. Tobit went to physicians for help, but they did not cure him.

During this time, Achiacharus provided for Tobit until he went into Elymais. Meanwhile, Tobit's wife Anna worked by weaving cloth in the women's chambers and sending the finished work back to the owners.

The owners paid Anna her wages and also gave her a kid. When it came into the house, it began to cry out. Tobit asked, 'Where did this kid come from?' He suspected it might be stolen and told her to return it, because stolen food must not be eaten.

Anna answered that it had been given to her as a gift in addition to her wages. Tobit did not believe her and asked her to return it anyway, and he felt ashamed of her. Then Anna answered him sharply, asking where his alms and righteous deeds were, and saying that he and his works were now plain to see.