Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two young men out of Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, and Jericho." And the two young men went and came to Jericho and entered into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

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.

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look, men of the children of Israel came in here to spy out the land."

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

3 The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who came to you tonight; for they have come to spy out all the land."

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.”

4 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.

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.

5 It happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know. Pursue them quickly; for you will overtake them."

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.”

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

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

7 The men pursued them the way to the Jordan to the fords: and as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

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.

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

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

9 and she said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

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.

10 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.

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.

11 As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, 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.

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.

12 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 token;

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,

13 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."

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.”

14 The men said to her, "Our life for yours, even to death, 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."

“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.”

15 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.

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.

16 She said to them, "Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way."

“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.”

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

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

18 Look, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by. You shall gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.

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.

19 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.

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.

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

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

21 She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them away, and they departed. She tied the scarlet line in the window.

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

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

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.

23 Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had happened to them.

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.

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

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