Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two spies secretly, saying: 'Go view the land, and Jericho.' And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay 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, there came men in hither to-night of 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 unto Rahab, saying: 'Bring forth the men that are come to thee, that are entered into thy house; for they are 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 took the two men, and hid them; and she said: 'Yea, the men came 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 about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not; 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 brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had spread out upon 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 unto the fords; and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out, the gate was shut.

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 were laid down, she came up unto 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 she said unto the men: 'I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before 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 how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto 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 And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above, and on 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 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father's house — and give me a true token —

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 and save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives 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 unto her: 'Our life for yours, if ye tell not this our business; and it shall be, when the LORD giveth 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 Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the side of the 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 unto them: 'Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned; and afterward may ye 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 unto her: 'We will be guiltless of this thine oath which thou hast made us to 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 this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou shalt gather unto thee into 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 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.

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

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

21 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.

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 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.

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 Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen 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 unto Joshua: 'Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before 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.”