Joshua 2

1 Then Ioshua the sonne of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spie secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and also Iericho: and they went, and came into an harlots house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Then Joshua [chose] two men from [their camp at] Acacia. He told them, “Go [across the Jordan River] and secretly find out all that you can about the land on that side of the river, especially about Jericho [city].” So the two men crossed [the river and entered Jericho]. They entered the house of a prostitute, whose name was Rahab. They stayed in her house [that night].

2 Then report was made to the King of Iericho, saying, Beholde, there came men hither to night, of the children of Israel, to spie out the countrey.

But someone [saw them and] told the king of Jericho, “Some Israeli men have come here tonight to spy out the land!”

3 And the King of Iericho sent vnto Rahab, saying, Bring foorth the men that are come to thee, and which are entred into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.

So the king sent some messengers to tell Rahab, “Bring out the men who came and entered your house, [so that we can kill them], because they have come [here] to (spy out/find out all they can about) this land!”

4 (But ye woman had taken the two men, and hid them) Therefore saide she thus, There came men vnto me, but I wist not whence they were.

She told them that the two men had gone to her house. But she had hidden the two men there. So when the messengers came to her house, she told them, “Two men came here, but I did not know where they had come from.

5 And when they shut the gate in the darke, the men went out, whither the men went I wote not: follow ye after them quickly, for ye shall ouertake them.

At dusk, just before (guards closed the city gate/the city gates were closed), the two men left. I do not know where they went. So, go quickly and search for them! Perhaps you may catch them!”

6 (But she had brought them vp to the roofe of the house, and hidde them with the stalkes of flaxe, which she had spread abroad vpon the roofe)

But [she was lying, ] she had taken the two men up to the [flat] roof of her house and had hidden them under the piles of flax that she had laid on the roof.

7 And certaine men pursued after them, the way to Iorden, vnto the foordes, and as soone as they which pursued after them, were gone out, they shut the gate.

The messengers went out of the city to search for the two men. Immediately, the guards shut the city gate. The messengers went along the road that leads down to the place where people can walk across the Jordan [River], [but they did not find the two men].

8 And before they were a sleepe, she came vp vnto them vpon the roofe,

Before the two men lay down [to sleep] that night, Rahab went up to the roof

9 And saide vnto the men, I knowe that the Lord hath giuen you the land, and that the feare of you is fallen vpon vs, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

and said to them, “We know that Yahweh [is about to] give this land to you Israelis, and as a result all the people living in this land are terrified because of you.

10 For we haue heard, howe the Lord dried vp the water of the redde Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt, and what you did vnto the two Kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Iorden, vnto Sihon and to Og, whom ye vtterly destroyed:

We have heard about how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you to cross it when you left Egypt. And we have heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two kings of the tribe of Amor who lived east of the Jordan [River]. You [Israelis] totally destroyed everyone [and everything in their kingdom].

11 And when wee heard it, our heartes did faint, and there remained no more courage in any because of you: for the Lord your God, he is the God in heauen aboue, and in earth beneath.

When we heard about those things, we were very dismayed. We no longer have enough courage to fight against you, because we know that Yahweh, the God whom you [worship], is helping you. [And we know that] he rules everything in heaven and here on earth.

12 Now therefore, I pray you, sweare vnto me by the Lord; that as I haue shewed you mercie, ye will also shewe mercie vnto my fathers house, and giue me a true token,

So now [I want you to] solemnly promise me, and ask Yahweh to punish you if you do not do what you promise. Solemnly promise me that you will act kindly to me and my family, because I have acted kindly to you.

13 And that yee will saue aliue my father and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they haue: and that yee will deliuer our soules from death.

Do something to prove that you will (spare the lives of/not kill) my father and my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all of their families. Promise me that you [Israelis] will not kill us [when you destroy this city].”

14 And the men answered her, Our life for you to die, if ye vtter not this our businesse: and when the Lord hath giuen vs the lande, we will deale mercifully and truely with thee.

The two men replied, “We desire that God will cause us to die if we do not do as we say! If you do not tell others what we [are planning to] do, we will act kindly toward you all when Yahweh enables us to possess the land.”

15 Then she let them downe by a corde thorowe the windowe: for her house was vpon the towne wall, and she dwelt vpon the wall.

[One of] the outside walls of the house where Rahab lived was part of the wall [that was around] the city. So she fastened a rope outside the window [that was in that wall], by which the men could climb down the wall.

16 And she said vnto them, Goe you into the mountaine, least the pursuers meete with you, and hide your selues there three dayes, vntill the pursuers be returned: then afterwarde may yee goe your way.

Then she said to them, “When you leave the city, go up into the hills so that the men who are searching for you will not find you. Hide in caves in the hills for three days, until the men who are searching for you return to the city. Then you can return safely to your camp.”

17 And the men said vnto her, We will be blamelesse of this thine othe, which thou hast made vs sweare.

The two men [gave her a red cord, and] said to her, “This is what you must do; if you do not do this, we will not be required to do what we have vowed to do.

18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this cord of red threde in the window, whereby thou lettest vs downe, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy fathers houshold home to thee.

You must tie this red cord in the window that has the rope by which we will climb down. You must let the cord hang there. And you must bring your father and your mother and your brothers and all the others in your family inside the house. Then, when our army enters your land, we will see the cord, and we will not kill the people in your house.

19 And whosoeuer then doeth goe out at the doores of thine house into the streete, his blood shalbe vpon his head, and we will be giltlesse: but whosoeuer shall be with thee in the house, his blood shalbe on our head, if any hande touch him:

If anyone in your family goes outside this house into the street, [our soldiers] will kill them, and we will not be guilty [MTY] for doing that. But if anyone who is in this house with you is injured, we will be guilty for causing that.

20 And if thou vtter this our matter, we will be quite of thine othe, which thou hast made vs sweare.

But if you tell anyone what we [are planning to] do, we are not required to do what we have vowed to do.”

21 And she answered, According vnto your wordes, so be it: then she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the red cord in ye window.

Rahab said, “I agree to do what you say.” So they climbed down the rope and left. And she left the red cord tied in the window.

22 And they departed, and came into the mountaine, and there abode three dayes, vntil the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but founde them not.

When the two men left the city, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for three days, while the men [who had been sent by the king] continued to search for them. They searched all along the road, but they did not find the two men. So they returned to the city.

23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountaine, and passed ouer, and came to Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and tolde him all things that came vnto them.

Then the two men started back toward their camp. They went down from the hills, went down to the river, crossed it at the place where people can walk across it, and returned to their camp. They told Joshua everything that had happened to them.

24 Also they saide vnto Ioshua, Surely the Lord hath deliuered into our handes all the lande: for euen all the inhabitants of the countrey faint because of vs.

They said to Joshua, “We are sure that Yahweh is going to enable us to possess everything that is in that land. The people there are terrified [IDM] because of us.”