Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent from Shittim two spies secretly, saying, Go, see the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and they lay down there.

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies. He said, “Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.” They went away and came to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and they lodged there.

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men have come hither to-night from the children of Israel to search out the land.

It was told to the king of Jericho, “Look, men of Israel have come here to spy on the land.”

3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have come into thy house: for they have come to search out all the land.

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

4 And the woman had taken and concealed the two men; and she said, Yes, the men did come unto me, but I knew not whence they were;

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She replied, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

5 and it came to pass when the gate had to be closed, at dark, that the men went out: I know not whither the men have gone. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

They left when it was dusk, when it was time for the city gate to shut. I do not know where they went. You will probably catch them if you hurry after them.”

6 But she had taken them up to the roof, and secreted them under the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the roof.

But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.

7 And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan, to the fords; and when they who pursued after them had gone out, they closed the gate.

So the men pursued them on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan. The gate was shut as soon as the pursuers went out.

8 And before they had lain down, she went up to them upon the roof;

The men had not yet lain down for the night, when she came up to them on the roof.

9 and said to the men, I know that Jehovah has given you the land, and that the dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

She said, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land and that the fear of you has come upon us. All those who live in the land will melt away before you.

10 For we have heard that Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red sea before you when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

We have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds for you when you came out of Egypt. We also heard what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on other side of the Jordan—Sihon and Og—whom you completely destroyed.

11 We heard [of it], and our heart melted, and there remained no more spirit in any man because of you; for Jehovah your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted and there was no courage left in anyone—for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

12 And now, I pray you, swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye will also deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a certain sign,

Now then, please swear to me by Yahweh that, just as I have been kind to you, you will also deal kindly with my father's house. Give me a sure sign

13 that ye will let my father live, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that belong to them, and deliver our souls from death.

that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters and all their families, and that you will save us from death.”

14 And the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

The men said to her, “Our life for yours, even to death! If you do not speak about our business, then, when Yahweh gives us this land we will be merciful and faithful to you.”

15 And she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the city-wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

So she let them down out through the window using a rope. The house in which she lived was built into the wall of the city.

16 And she said to them, Go to the mountain, that the pursuers may not meet with you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards go your way.

She said to them, “Go in the hills and hide or the pursuers will find you. Hide there for three days until the pursuers have returned. Then go on your way.”

17 And the men said to her, We will be quit of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

The men said to her, “We will be not be bound to the promises of the oath you made us swear to, if you do not do this.

18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind in the window this line of scarlet thread by which thou hast let us down; and thou shalt gather to thee in the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household;

When we come into the land, you must tie this scarlet rope in the window through which you let us down, and you will gather into the house your father and mother, your brothers and all your father's household.

19 and it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, — his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be innocent; but every one who shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be upon our head, if any hand be upon him.

Whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, their blood will be upon their own heads and we will be guiltless. But if a hand is laid upon any who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head.

20 And if thou make known this our business, we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

But if you speak about our business, we will be free from the oath you made us swear.”

21 And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.

Rahab replied, “May what you say be done.” She sent them away and they left. Then she tied the scarlet rope in the window.

22 And they went, and came to the mountain, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them all the way, and found them not.

They left and went up into the hills and they stayed there three days until their pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the road and found nothing.

23 And the two men returned and came down from the mountain, and went over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him everything that had happened to them.

The two men returned and crossed over and came back to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him everything that had happened to them.

24 And they said to Joshua, Of a surety Jehovah has given the whole land into our hands, and even all the inhabitants of the land faint because of us.

They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given this land to us. All the inhabitants of the land are melting away because of us.”