Joshua 2

1 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.

And Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two young men out of Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, and Jericho." And the two young men went and came to Jericho and entered into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

2 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.

The king of Jericho was told, "Look, men of the children of Israel came in here to spy out the land."

3 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.

The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who came to you tonight; for they have come to spy out all the land."

4 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;

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.

5 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.

It happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly; for you will overtake them."

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

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

7 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.

The men pursued them the way to the Jordan to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

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

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

9 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;

and she said to the men, "I know that YHWH has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

10 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.

For we have heard how YHWH 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.

11 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.

As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for YHWH your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

12 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,

Now therefore, please swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;

13 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?

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."

14 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.

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

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

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.

16 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.

She said to them, "Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way."

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

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

18 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;

Look, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by. You shall gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.

19 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.

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.

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

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

21 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.

She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them away, and they departed. She tied the scarlet line in the window.

22 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.

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

23 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.

Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had happened to them.

24 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.

They said to Joshua, "Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us."