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 two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

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

And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight 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 to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”

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.

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come 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."

At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch 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.

(But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out 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.

So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.

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

Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof

9 and she said to the men, "I know that YHWH 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.

and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.

10 For we have heard how YHWH 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.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction.

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 YHWH your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.

12 Now therefore, please swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a true token;

Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign

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 the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us 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 YHWH gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you."

“Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness 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 Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.

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."

“Go to the hill country,” she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go 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 said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath 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 the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house.

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 goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.

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."

And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath 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.

“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the 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.

So the spies went out into the hill country and stayed there three days, until their pursuers had returned without finding them, having searched all along the road.

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, came down from the hill country, and crossed the river. So they came to Joshua son of Nun and reported all that had happened to them.

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

“The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”