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 son of Nun sendeth from Shittim, two men, spies, silently, saying, 'Go, see the land — and Jericho;' and they go and come into the house of a woman, a harlot, and her name [is] Rahab, and they lie down 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.

And it is told to the king of Jericho, saying, 'Lo, men have come in hither to-night, from the sons of Israel, to search 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.

And the king of Jericho sendeth unto Rahab, saying, 'Bring out the men who are coming in unto thee, who have come into thy house, for to search the whole of the land they have come in.

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;

And the woman taketh the two men, and hideth them, and saith thus: 'The men came in unto me, and I have not known whence they [are];

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.

and it cometh to pass — the gate is to [be] shut — in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known whither the men have gone; pursue ye, hasten after them, for ye 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.

and she hath caused them to go up on the roof, and hideth them with the flax wood, which is arranged for her 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.

And the men have pursued after them the way of the Jordan, by the fords, and the gate they have shut afterwards, when the pursuers have gone out after them.

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

And — before they lie down — she hath gone up unto 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 saith unto the men, 'I have known that Jehovah hath given to you the land, and that your terror hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted at your presence.

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 Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea at your presence, in your going out of Egypt, and that which ye have done to the two kings of the Amorite who [are] beyond the Jordan; to Sihon and to Og whom ye devoted.

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.

And we hear, and melt doth our heart, and there hath not stood any more spirit in [any] man, from your presence, for Jehovah your God, He [is] God in the heavens above, and on the 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,

'And now, swear ye, I pray you, to me by Jehovah — because I have done with you kindness — that ye have done, even ye, kindness with the house of my father, and have given to 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 have kept alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and have delivered our souls 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.

And the men say to her, 'Our soul for yours — to die; if ye declare not this our matter, then it hath been, in Jehovah's giving to us this land, that we have done with thee kindness and truth.'

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

And she causeth them to go down by a rope through the window, for her house [is] in the side of the wall, and in the wall she [is] dwelling;

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.

and she saith to them, 'To the mountain go, lest the pursuers come upon you; and ye have been hidden there three days till the turning back of the pursuers, and afterwards ye go on your way.'

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

And the men say unto her, 'We are acquitted of this thine oath which thou hast caused 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;

lo, we are coming into the land, this line of scarlet thread thou dost bind to the window by which thou hast caused us to go down, and thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all the house of thy father thou dost gather unto thee, to the house;

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.

and it hath been, any one who goeth out from the doors of thy house without, his blood [is] on his head, and we are innocent; and any one who is with thee in the house, his blood [is] on our head, if a 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.

and if thou declare this our matter, then we have been acquitted from thine oath which thou hast caused 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.

And she saith, 'According unto your words, so it [is];' and she sendeth them away, and they go; and she bindeth the scarlet line to 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.

And they go, and come in to the mountain, and abide there three days until the pursuers have turned back; and the pursuers seek in all the way, and have not found.

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.

And the two men turn back, and come down from the hill, and pass over, and come in unto Joshua son of Nun, and recount to him all that hath come upon 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.

and they say unto Joshua, 'Surely Jehovah hath given into our hand all the land; and also, all the inhabitants of the land have melted at our presence.'