Joshua 2

1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

And Joshua the son of Naue sent out of Sattin two young men to spy [the land], saying, Go up and view the land and Jericho: and the two young men went and entered into Jericho; and they entered into the house of a harlot, whose name [was] Raab, and lodged there.

2 And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

An it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, Men of the sons of Israel have come in hither to spy the land.

3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”

And the king of Jericho sent and spoke to Raab, saying, Bring out the men that entered into your house this night; for they are come to spy out the land.

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from.

And the woman took the two men and hid them; and she spoke to the messengers, saying, The men came in to me,

5 At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”

but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if you may overtake them.

6 (But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)

But she [had] brought them up upon the house, and hid them in the flax-stalks that were spread by her on the house.

7 So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.

And the men followed after them in the way to Jordan to the fords; and the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof

And it came to pass when the men who pursued after them were gone forth, and before the spies had lain down to sleep, that she came up to them on the top of the house;

9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.

and she said to them, I know that the Lord has given you the land; for the fear of you has fallen upon us.

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction.

For we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you, when you came out of the land of Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.

And when we heard it we were amazed in our heart, and there was no longer any spirit in any of us because of you, for the Lord your god [is] God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath.

12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign

And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do you also deal mercifully with the house of my father:

13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.”

and save alive the house of my father, my mother, and my brethren, and all my house, and all that they have, and you shall rescue my soul from death.

14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”

And the men said to her, Our life for yours [even] to death: and she said, When the Lord shall have delivered the city to you, you shall deal mercifully and truly with me.

15 Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.

And she let them down by the window;

16 “Go to the hill country,” she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go on your way.”

and she said to them, Depart into the hill-country, lest the pursuers meet you, and you shall be hidden there three days until your pursuers return from after you, and afterwards you shall depart on your way.

17 The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear

And the men said to her, We are clear of this your oath.

18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house.

Behold, we shall enter into a part of the city, and you shall set a sign; you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window, by which you have let us down, and you shall bring in to yourself, into your house, your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all the family of your father.

19 If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.

And it shall come to pass that whoever shall go outside the door of your house, his guilt shall be upon him, and we shall be quit of this your oath; and we will be responsible for all that shall be found with you in your house.

20 And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”

But if any one should injure us, or betray these our matters, we shall be quit of this your oath.

21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

And she said to them, Let it be according to your word; and she sent them out, and they departed.

22 So the spies went out into the hill country and stayed there three days, until their pursuers had returned without finding them, having searched all along the road.

And they came to the hill-country, and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads, and found them not.

23 Then the two men started back, came down from the hill country, and crossed the river. So they came to Joshua son of Nun and reported all that had happened to them.

And the two young men returned, and came down out of the mountain; and they went over to Joshua the son of Naue, and told him all things that had happened to them.

24 “The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”

And they said to Joshua, The Lord has delivered all the land into our power, and all the inhabitants of that land tremble because of us.