Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Naue sent out of Sattin two young men to spy [the land], saying, Go up and view the land and Jericho: and the two young men went and entered into Jericho; and they entered into the house of a harlot, whose name [was] Raab, and lodged there.

Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

2 An it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, Men of the sons of Israel have come in hither to spy the land.

The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”

3 And the king of Jericho sent and spoke to Raab, saying, Bring out the men that entered into your house this night; for they are come to spy out the land.

Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”

4 And the woman took the two men and hid them; and she spoke to the messengers, saying, The men came in to me,

The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.

5 but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if you may overtake them.

About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

6 But she [had] brought them up upon the house, and hid them in the flax-stalks that were spread by her on the house.

But she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

7 And the men followed after them in the way to Jordan to the fords; and the gate was shut.

The men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

8 And it came to pass when the men who pursued after them were gone forth, and before the spies had lain down to sleep, that she came up to them on the top of the house;

Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.

9 and she said to them, I know that the Lord has given you the land; for the fear of you has fallen upon us.

She said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

10 For we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you, when you came out of the land of Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 And when we heard it we were amazed in our heart, and there was no longer any spirit in any of us because of you, for the Lord your god [is] God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath.

As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there was not any more spirit in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

12 And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do you also deal mercifully with the house of my father:

Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;

13 and save alive the house of my father, my mother, and my brethren, and all my house, and all that they have, and you shall rescue my soul from death.

and that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”

14 And the men said to her, Our life for yours [even] to death: and she said, When the Lord shall have delivered the city to you, you shall deal mercifully and truly with me.

The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you do not talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when the LORD gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

15 And she let them down by the window;

Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.

16 and she said to them, Depart into the hill-country, lest the pursuers meet you, and you shall be hidden there three days until your pursuers return from after you, and afterwards you shall depart on your way.

She said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”

17 And the men said to her, We are clear of this your oath.

The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.

18 Behold, we shall enter into a part of the city, and you shall set a sign; you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window, by which you have let us down, and you shall bring in to yourself, into your house, your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all the family of your father.

Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.

19 And it shall come to pass that whoever shall go outside the door of your house, his guilt shall be upon him, and we shall be quit of this your oath; and we will be responsible for all that shall be found with you in your house.

It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.

20 But if any one should injure us, or betray these our matters, we shall be quit of this your oath.

But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you have made us to swear.”

21 And she said to them, Let it be according to your word; and she sent them out, and they departed.

She said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.

22 And they came to the hill-country, and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads, and found them not.

They went and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them.

23 And the two young men returned, and came down out of the mountain; and they went over to Joshua the son of Naue, and told him all things that had happened to them.

Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all that had happened to them.

24 And they said to Joshua, The Lord has delivered all the land into our power, and all the inhabitants of that land tremble because of us.

They said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”