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.

Then did Joshua son of Nun, send out from The Acacias, two men to spy out silently, saying, Go view the land, and Jericho. So they came, and entered the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lay 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 the king of Jericho, saying, —Lo! men, have come in hither to-night of the sons of Israel to search out 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.”

So the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, —Bring forth the men that are come in unto thee who have entered thy house, for, to search out all the land, have 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.

And the woman took the two men and hid them, —and said: Even so, the men did come in unto me, but I knew not from 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, as the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that, the men, went out, I know not whither the men went, —pursue them quickly for ye shall 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 taken them up to the roof, —and concealed them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order for herself 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.

So, the men, pursued them by way of the Jordan unto the fords, —the gate being shut as soon as they who pursued them had gone forth.

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

And, ere yet they slept, she, went 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 said unto the men, I know that Yahweh hath given unto you the land, —and that the terror of you hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before 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 Yahweh, dried up, the waters of the Red Sea from before you, when ye came forth out of Egypt, —and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan unto Sihon and unto Og, whom ye devoted to destruction;

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, then did our heart melt, and there rose up no longer any spirit in any man because of you, —for, as for Yahweh your God, he, is 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

Now, therefore I pray you, swear unto me by Yahweh, since I have dealt with you in lovingkindness, that, ye also, will deal with the house of my father in lovingkindness, and will give me a token of faithfulness,

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 will save alive my father and my mother, and my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have, —and will deliver our souls 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 souls in your stead unto death, if ye utter not this our business, —so shall it be, when Yahweh shall give us the land, that we will deal with thee in lovingkindness and in faithfulness.

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 with a cord through the window, —for, her house, was within the wall of the rampart, and, within the rampart, she was dwelling.

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—To the mountain, get you, lest the pursuers, fall in, with you, —and hide yourselves there, three days until the pursuers return, and, afterwards, shall ye 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, —Free, will we be from this thine oath which thou hast made us 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.

Lo! when we are coming into the land, this cord of crimson thread, must thou bind in the window by which thou didst let us down, and, thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all the household of thy father, must thou gather together unto thee unto 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, whosoever shall go forth out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood, shall be on his own head and, we, shall be free, —but, whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood, shall be on our heads, if a, hand, be upon him.

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

Or, if thou utter this our business, then shall we be free from this thine oath which thou hast made us 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 to your words, so, shall it be. Thus sent she them away and they departed, —and she bound the crimson cord 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 into the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers had returned, —so the pursuers, made search, throughout all the way, but 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 men returned and came down out of the mountain, and crossed over and came unto Joshua, son of Nun, —and recounted to him all 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, Yahweh, hath delivered, into our hand all the land, —moreover also all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before us.