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 Nun, had sent out from Shittim two men as spies, secretly, saying, Go ye, view the land and especially Jericho; and they went, and came unto the house of a woman, a harlot, whose name was Rachab, and they 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.”

And it was told unto the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men came in hither this night, of the children of Israel, to search out the country.

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 to Rachab, saying, Bring forth the men who are come to thee, who came to thy house; for, to search out all the country are they come.

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.

But the woman had taken the two men, and hidden them; and she said, It is true, the men came unto me, but I knew not whence they were.

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!”

And it came to pass, about the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; I know not whither the men are gone: pursue quickly after them, for ye can 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 to the roof, and had hidden them among the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

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 pursued after them, by the way to the Jordan unto the fords; and the gate was closed, as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out.

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

But they had not yet laid themselves down, when she came up unto them upon the roof.

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 unto them, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that the terror of you hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are become faint-hearted, because of you.

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, how that the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you, when ye went forth out of Egypt; and what ye have done unto the two kings of the Emorites, who were on the other side of the Jordan, unto Sichon and 'Og, whom ye have 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 this, our heart melted, and there remained not any more courage in any man, because of you; for the Lord your God is alone God in the heavens above, and upon 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, I pray you, unto me by the Lord, because I have shown you kindness, that ye will also, for your part, show kindness, unto my father's house; and give me a sure token,

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.”

That ye will preserve the life of my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives 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 unto her, Our life shall be [doomed] to death instead of yours, if ye tell not this our business; and it shall be, when the Lord giveth us the land, that we will show thee kindness and truth.

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.

Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was within the town wall, and within the wall she dwelt.

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 unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet with you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned; and afterward ye may go your way.

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

And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thy oath which thou hast caused us to swear.

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, when we come into the land, this line of scarlet thread shalt thou bind in the window by which thou hast let us down; and thy father, and thy mother, and thy brothers, and all thy father's household, thou must bring together unto thee into the house.

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 be, that whosoever will go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; and whosoever will remain with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if a hand be laid upon him.

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

And if thou tell this our business, then will we be free of thy oath which thou hast caused us to swear.

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, According unto your words, so be it; and she dismissed them, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

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 went, and came unto the mountain, and they remained there three days, until the pursuers were returned; and the pursuers sought throughout all the way, but found nothing.

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 men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him all the things that had befallen 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 unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath given up into our hand all the country; for all the inhabitants of the country are already become faint-hearted because of us.