Joshua 2

1 Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim. “Go and explore the land, especially around Jericho,” he told them. So they went, and stayed at the house of woman named Rahab, a prostitute. There they spent the night.

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

2 But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.”

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

3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, telling her, “Hand over the men who came to visit you and stay in your house, for they've come to spy out our whole country.”

And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.

4 The woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She told the king's messengers, “Yes, it's true—the men did come to visit me, but I didn't know where they were from.

And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:

5 They left at sundown, just as the city gate was closing. I've no idea where they went. If you're quick, you can chase after them and maybe catch up with them.”

And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

6 (She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)

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

7 The king's messengers went chasing after the men down the road that leads to the Jordan River fords. As soon as the pursuers had left, the city gate was shut behind them.

And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.

And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9 She told them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We're all terrified of you. Everyone who lives here is dying of fright since you people arrived.

And she said unto the men, I know that Yhwh hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 We've heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed.

For we have heard how Yhwh dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11 When we heard all this, our courage melted away. Nobody had any fighting spirit left because of you. For the Lord your God is God of heaven above and the earth below.

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for Yhwh your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

12 So now promise me in the name of the Lord that because I have acted in good faith to you, then you will do the same for my family. Give me some sign that I can trust you,

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Yhwh, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:

13 that you will spare my father and mother and brothers and sisters—and all who are part of their families—that you will save them from death.”

And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

14 “Our lives for yours!” the men told her. “If you don't tell anyone about this, we will treat you honestly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”

And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when Yhwh hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

15 Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window since the house where she lived was built into the outside of the city wall.

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

16 “Run to the hills,” she told them. “That way those searching for you won't find you. Stay there three days until they've gone home, and then you can be on your way.”

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

17 The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,

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

18 unless when we enter this land, you hang a scarlet cord in the window through which you lowered us. You must gather together in the house your father and mother and brothers—all the family.

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

19 If anyone leaves your house and is killed, that's their fault—we're not responsible for their death. But if anyone lays a hand on someone who is inside your house, we take full responsibility for their death.

And it shall be, that whosoever shall 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 shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

20 But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”

And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

21 “I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.

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

22 They went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men searching for them looked all along the road, but couldn't find them, so they returned home.

And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

23 Then the two men started back. They came down from the hill country and crossed over the Jordan. They went to Joshua and explained to him all that had happened to them.

So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

24 “The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”

And they said unto Joshua, Truly Yhwh hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.