Joshua 2

1 Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

Then Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men from Shittim secretly, with the purpose of searching out the land, and Jericho. So they went and came to the house of a loose woman of the town, named Rahab, where they took their rest for the night.

2 The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”

And it was said to the king of Jericho, See, some men have come here tonight from the children of Israel with the purpose of searching out the land.

3 Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”

Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Send out the men who have come to you and are in your house; for they have come with the purpose of searching out all the land.

4 The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.

And the woman took the two men and put them in a secret place; then she said, Yes, the men came to me, but I had no idea where they came from;

5 About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

And when it was the time for shutting the doors at dark, they went out; I have no idea where the men went: but if you go after them quickly, you will overtake them.

6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

But she had taken them up to the roof, covering them with the stems of flax which she had put out in order there.

7 The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

So the men went after them on the road to Jordan as far as the river-crossing: and when they had gone out after them, the door into the town was shut.

8 Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.

And before the men went to rest, she came up to them on the roof,

9 She said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

And said to them, It is clear to me that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has come on us;

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

For we have had news of how the Lord made the Red Sea dry before you when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, on the other side of Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you gave up to the curse.

11 As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there was not any more spirit in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

And because of this news, our hearts became like water, and there was no more spirit in any of us because of you; for the Lord your God is God in heaven on high and here on earth.

12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;

So now, will you give me your oath by the Lord, that, because I have been kind to you, you will be kind to my father's house,

13 and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”

And that you will keep safe my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and all they have, so that death may not come on us?

14 The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you do not talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when the LORD gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

And the men said to her, Our life for yours if you keep our business secret; and when the Lord has given us the land, we will keep faith and be kind to you.

15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.

Then she let them down from the window by a cord, for the house where she was living was on the town wall.

16 She said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”

And she said to them, Get away into the hill-country, or the men who have gone after you will overtake you; keep yourselves safe there for three days, till the searchers have come back, and then go on your way.

17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.

And the men said to her, We will only be responsible for this oath which you have made us take,

18 Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.

If, when we come into the land, you put this cord of bright red thread in the window from which you let us down; and get your father and mother and your brothers and all your family into the house;

19 It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.

Then if anyone goes out of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, we will not be responsible; but if any damage comes to anyone in the house, his blood will be on our heads.

20 But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you have made us to swear.”

But if you say anything about our business here, then we will be free from the oath you have made us take.

21 She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.

And she said, Let it be as you say. Then she sent them away, and they went; and she put the bright red cord in the window.

22 They went and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them.

And they went into the hill-country and were there three days, till the men who had gone after them had come back; and those who went after them were searching for them everywhere without coming across them.

23 Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all that had happened to them.

Then the two men came down from the hill-country and went over and came back to Joshua, the son of Nun; and they gave him a complete account of what had taken place.

24 They said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”

And they said to Joshua, Truly, the Lord has given all the land into our hands; and all the people of the land have become like water because of us.