Josua 2

1 Og Josva, Nuns Søn, sendte hemmelig to Mænd som Spejdere fra Sittim og sagde: Gaar hen, beser Landet og Jeriko; og de gik hen og kom ind i en Kvindes, en Skøges Hus, og hendes Navn var Rahab, og de laa der.

Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim. “Go and explore the land, especially around Jericho,” he told them. So they went, and stayed at the house of woman named Rahab, a prostitute. There they spent the night.

2 Da blev der sagt til Kongen af Jeriko saaledes: Se, i Nat er der komne Mænd hid af Israels Børn for at udforske Landet.

But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.”

3 Da sendte Kongen af Jeriko Bud til Rahab og lod sige: Før de Mænd ud, som kom til dig, som kom til dit Hus; thi de ere komne til at udforske alt Landet.

So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, telling her, “Hand over the men who came to visit you and stay in your house, for they've come to spy out our whole country.”

4 Men Kvinden havde taget de to Mænd og skjult dem; og hun sagde saaledes: Mændene kom til mig, men jeg vidste ikke, hvorfra de vare.

The woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She told the king's messengers, “Yes, it's true—the men did come to visit me, but I didn't know where they were from.

5 Og det skete, der de vilde lukke Porten, da det var mørkt, gik Mændene ud, jeg ved ikke, hvor de Mænd gik hen; forfølger dem snart, thi saa skulle I naa dem.

They left at sundown, just as the city gate was closing. I've no idea where they went. If you're quick, you can chase after them and maybe catch up with them.”

6 Men hun havde ladet dem stige op paa Taget og skjult dem under Hørstilkene, som vare udbredte af hende paa Taget.

(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)

7 Og Mændene forfulgte dem paa Vejen til Jordanen indtil Færgestederne, og man lukkede Porten til, efter at de, som forfulgte dem, vare udgangne.

The king's messengers went chasing after the men down the road that leads to the Jordan River fords. As soon as the pursuers had left, the city gate was shut behind them.

8 Og førend de havde lagt sig, gik hun op til dem paa Taget,

Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.

9 og hun sagde til Mændene: Jeg ved, at Herren har givet eder Landet, og at Forfærdelse for eder er falden paa os, og at Landets Indbyggere ere mistrøstige for eders Ansigt.

She told them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We're all terrified of you. Everyone who lives here is dying of fright since you people arrived.

10 Thi vi have hørt, at Herren udtørrede Vandet i det røde Hav for eders Ansigt, der I gik ud af Ægypten, og hvad I gjorde ved Amoriternes to Konger, som vare paa hin Side Jordanen, Sihon og Og, hvilke I ødelagde.

We've heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed.

11 Og vi have hørt det, og vort Hjerte er mistrøstigt, og intet Mod bestaar ydermere i nogen for eders Ansigt; thi Herren eders Gud, han er en Gud i Himmelen oventil og paa Jorden nedentil.

When we heard all this, our courage melted away. Nobody had any fighting spirit left because of you. For the Lord your God is God of heaven above and the earth below.

12 Og nu, kære, sværger mig ved Herren, efterdi jeg gjorde Miskundhed mod eder, at I og ville gøre Miskundhed imod min Faders Hus og give mig et sikkert Tegn,

So now promise me in the name of the Lord that because I have acted in good faith to you, then you will do the same for my family. Give me some sign that I can trust you,

13 at I ville lade min Fader og min Moder og mine Brødre og mine Søstre leve, og alt det, de have, og fri vore Sjæle fra Døden.

that you will spare my father and mother and brothers and sisters—and all who are part of their families—that you will save them from death.”

14 Og Mændene sagde til hende: Vore Sjæle skulle være i Stedet for eders til at dø, naar I kun ikke kundgør denne vor Handel; og det skal ske, naar Herren giver os Landet, da ville vi vise Miskundhed og Troskab imod dig.

“Our lives for yours!” the men told her. “If you don't tell anyone about this, we will treat you honestly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 Saa lod hun dem ned ved et Reb igennem Vinduet; thi hendes Hus var ved Stadens Mur, og hun boede ved Muren.

Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window since the house where she lived was built into the outside of the city wall.

16 Og hun sagde til dem: Gaar op paa Bjerget, at de, som forfølge eder, ikke skulle møde eder, og skjuler eder der i tre Dage, indtil de komme igen, som forfølge eder, og siden kunne I gaa eders Vej.

“Run to the hills,” she told them. “That way those searching for you won't find you. Stay there three days until they've gone home, and then you can be on your way.”

17 Og Mændene sagde til hende: Vi ville være løste fra denne din Ed, som du kom os til at sværge:

The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,

18 Se, naar vi komme ind i Landet, da skal du binde denne Skarlagens Snor i Vinduet, igennem hvilket du har ladet os ned, og du skal samle til dig i Huset din Fader og din Moder og dine Brødre og din Faders ganske Hus;

unless when we enter this land, you hang a scarlet cord in the window through which you lowered us. You must gather together in the house your father and mother and brothers—all the family.

19 og det skal ske, hver den, som gaar ud af dit Huses Døre udenfor, hans Blod skal være paa hans Hoved, og vi skulle være uskyldige; men hver den, som er med dig i Huset, hans Blod skal være paa vort Hoved, dersom der bliver lagt Haand paa ham.

If anyone leaves your house and is killed, that's their fault—we're not responsible for their death. But if anyone lays a hand on someone who is inside your house, we take full responsibility for their death.

20 Men dersom du kundgør denne vor Handel, da ville vi være løste fra den Ed, som du kom os til at sværge.

But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”

21 Og hun sagde: Det skal saa være efter eders Ord, og hun lod dem gaa, og de gik; og hun bandt den Skarlagens Snor i Vinduet.

“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.

22 Saa gik de hen og kom paa Bjerget og bleve der tre Dage, indtil de, som forfulgte dem, vendte tilbage; men Forfølgerne ledte paa hele Vejen og fandt dem ikke.

They went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men searching for them looked all along the road, but couldn't find them, so they returned home.

23 Saa vendte de to Mænd tilbage og gik ned ad Bjerget og for over og kom til Josva, Nuns Søn, og de fortalte ham alting, som havde rammet dem.

Then the two men started back. They came down from the hill country and crossed over the Jordan. They went to Joshua and explained to him all that had happened to them.

24 Og de sagde til Josva: Herren har givet alt Landet i vor Haand, ja ogsaa alle Landets Indbyggere ere mistrøstige for vort Ansigt.

“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”