Joshua 2

1 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.

And so Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men from Shittim to explore in secret. And he said to them, “Go and consider the land and the city of Jericho.” And while traveling, they entered into the house of a harlot woman named Rahab, and they rested with her.

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 country.

And it was reported to the king of Jericho, and it was said: “Behold, men have entered to this place in the night, from the sons of Israel, so that they might explore the land.”

3 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.

And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying: “Bring out the men who came to you, and who entered into your house. For certainly they are spies, and they have arrived to consider the entire land.”

4 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:

And the woman, taking the men, hid them. And she said: “I admit that they came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

5 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.

And when the gate was closed, they went out together in the darkness. I do not know where they have gone. Pursue them quickly, and you will overtake them.”

6 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.

But she caused the men to ascend to the roof of her house, and she covered them with the stalks of flax that were there.

7 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.

But those who had been sent pursued after them along the way that leads to the ford of the Jordan. And as soon as they went out, the gate was closed.

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

Those who were hiding had not yet fallen asleep, and behold, the woman went up to them, and she said:

9 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.

“I know that the Lord has given this land to you. For the terror of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have languished.

10 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.

We have heard that the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea upon your arrival, when you were departing from Egypt, and we heard of the things that you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put to death.

11 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.

And upon hearing these things, we were very afraid, and our heart languished. Neither did there remain in us any spirit at your arrival. For the Lord your God is the very God in heaven above and on earth below.

12 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:

Now, therefore, swear to me by the Lord that in the same way that I have acted with mercy toward you, so also shall you act toward the house of my father. And may you give me a true sign

13 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.

that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all that is theirs, and that you may rescue our souls from death.”

14 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.

They responded to her: “May our lives be yours unto death, if only you do not betray us. And when the Lord will have delivered the land to us, we will act toward you with mercy and truth.”

15 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.

Therefore, she sent them down from a window with a rope. For her house was joined to the wall.

16 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.

And she said to them: “Climb up to the mountains; otherwise, they may meet you as they are returning. And lay hidden there for three days, until they return. And then you will go on your way.”

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

And they said to her: “We shall be innocent of this oath, to which you have sworn us,

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 bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

if, when we enter into the land, this scarlet cord has been placed as a sign, and you have tied it at the window by which you let us down. And so, gather your father, and mother, and brothers, and all your family into your house.

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 will have exited from the door of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be uninvolved. But the blood of all who will be with you in the house shall fall back upon our own head, if anyone touches them.

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

But if you will have betrayed us, so that you spread this word in their midst, we will be free from this oath, to which you have sworn us.”

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.

And she responded, “Just as you have spoken, so let it be done.” And sending them to travel on, she hung the scarlet cord at 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.

And truly, walking on, they arrived at the mountains, and they stayed there for three days, until those who had been pursuing them returned. For having sought them along the entire way, they did not find them.

23 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:

And when they returned and entered the city, the explorers descended from the mountain. And crossing the Jordan, they went to Joshua, the son of Nun, and they reported to him all that had happened to them.

24 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.

And they said, “The Lord has delivered this entire land into our hands, and all its inhabitants have been struck down by fear.”