< 約書亞記 2 >

1 農的兒子若蘇厄由史廷暗中派出兩個人作偵探說:「你們去察看那地和耶利哥! 」他們就去了,來到一個名叫辣哈布的妓女家中,就住在那裏。
And Joshua the son of Nun sent from Shittim two spies secretly, saying, Go, see the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and they lay down there.
2 有人報告耶里哥王說:「夜間有兩個以色列人到了這裡,偵探這地方。」
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men have come hither to-night from the children of Israel to search out the land.
3 耶里哥王遂派人到辣哈布那裡說:「將那來到你家中的兩個人交出來,因為他們是來偵探這地方的。」
And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have come into thy house: for they have come to search out all the land.
4 但是那女人預先將那兩個人藏起來,就這樣回答說:「那兩個人的確來過我這裡,但他們是從那裡來的,我卻不知道。
And the woman had taken and concealed the two men; and she said, Yes, the men did come unto me, but I knew not whence they were;
5 天黑快關城門時,他們兩人出去了;往那裡去了,我也不知道。你們快去追趕,也許還可趕上他們。」
and it came to pass when the gate had to be closed, at dark, that the men went out: I know not whither the men have gone. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6 原來她叫那兩個人上了屋頂,藏在她屋頂上堆積的麻秸內。
But she had taken them up to the roof, and secreted them under the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the roof.
7 來問的人便沿著約但河,直向渡口去追趕;追趕的人一出去,城門就關了。
And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan, to the fords; and when they who pursued after them had gone out, they closed the gate.
8 他們還沒有睡,那女人就上到屋頂,
And before they had lain down, she went up to them upon the roof;
9 對他們二人說:「我知道上主已將這地方交給了你們;你們真叫我們害怕,此地所有的居民,對你們都恐懼不已。
and said to the men, I know that Jehovah has given you the land, and that the dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 因為我們聽說,你們出埃及時,上主怎樣使紅海在你們面前乾涸;你們又怎樣對待了約但河東岸的兩個阿摩黎王,即息紅和敖格,將他們完全消滅。
For we have heard that Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red sea before you when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 我們聽了,心都冷了,沒有一人再有勇氣來對抗你們,因為上主你們的天主,就是上天下地的天主。
We heard [of it], and our heart melted, and there remained no more spirit in any man because of you; for Jehovah your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
12 現在請你們指著上主對我起誓,我既然恩待了你們,你們也要恩待我的父家,請給我一個安全的保證,
And now, I pray you, swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye will also deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a certain sign,
13 使我的父母、兄弟、姊妹和他們所有的一切人,都能生存,救我們的性命免於死亡。」
that ye will let my father live, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that belong to them, and deliver our souls from death.
14 他們二人回答她說:「如果你不洩漏我們的約定,我們願拿性命為你們擔保;當上主將這地方交給我們時,我們必慈善忠厚地對待你。」
And the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 那女人於是用繩子將他們二人由窗戶縋下去,因為她的房屋是在城牆上,她也住在城牆上。
And she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the city-wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 她又對他們說:「你們要往山中去,免得追趕的人遇見你們。你們在那裡躲藏三天,等追趕的人回來,然後再上道。」
And she said to them, Go to the mountain, that the pursuers may not meet with you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards go your way.
17 他們二人對她說:「如果你不這樣作,你叫我們所起的誓,我們將不負責:
And the men said to her, We will be quit of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18 就是當我們再到這地方時,你應將這根朱紅線繫在你縋下我們的窗戶上,並且叫你的父母、兄弟和你父親全家人口,都聚集在你這屋內。
Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind in the window this line of scarlet thread by which thou hast let us down; and thou shalt gather to thee in the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household;
19 誰若走出你的屋門,他的血應由他自己承當,我們不負責任;但凡同你在屋內的,如有人下手加害他,他的血將由我們承當。
and it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, — his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be innocent; but every one who shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be upon our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 但是你若洩漏了我們的約定,那麼,你叫我們所起的誓,我們便不負責。」
And if thou make known this our business, we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
21 她回答說:「就照你們說的做罷!」於是打發他們二人走了。他們走後,她遂把那根朱紅線繫在她的窗戶上。
And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 他們出去,到了山上,在那裡住了三天,直到追趕的人回去。追趕的人一路尋找他們,結果沒有找到。
And they went, and came to the mountain, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them all the way, and found them not.
23 他們二人轉身,由山上下來,渡過了約但河,回到農的兒子若蘇厄那裡,將他們所遇見的事,一一報告給他。
And the two men returned and came down from the mountain, and went over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him everything that had happened to them.
24 他們對若蘇厄說:「上主實在已將那整個地域交在我們手中,因為那地方的居民對我們都十分恐懼。」
And they said to Joshua, Of a surety Jehovah has given the whole land into our hands, and even all the inhabitants of the land faint because of us.

< 約書亞記 2 >