Joshua 2

1 Then did Joshua son of Nun, send out from The Acacias, two men to spy out silently, saying, Go view the land, and Jericho. So they came, and entered the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lay 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, —Lo! men, have come in hither to-night of the sons of Israel to search out the land.

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 So the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, —Bring forth the men that are come in unto thee who have entered thy house, for, to search out all the land, have they come.

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: Even so, the men did come in unto me, but I knew not from 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, as the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that, the men, went out, I know not whither the men went, —pursue 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 taken them up to the roof, —and concealed them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order for herself 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 So, the men, pursued them by way of the Jordan unto the fords, —the gate being shut as soon as they who pursued them had gone forth.

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, ere yet they slept, she, went 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 said unto the men, I know that Yahweh hath given unto you the land, —and that the terror of you hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before 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 Yahweh, dried up, the waters of the Red Sea from before you, when ye came forth out of Egypt, —and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan unto Sihon and unto Og, whom ye devoted to destruction;

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, when we heard, then did our heart melt, and there rose up no longer any spirit in any man because of you, —for, as for Yahweh your God, he, is God—in the heavens above, and upon the 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 Yahweh, since I have dealt with you in lovingkindness, that, ye also, will deal with the house of my father in lovingkindness, and will give me a token of faithfulness,

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 will save alive my father and my mother, and my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have, —and will deliver our souls 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 said unto her, Our souls in your stead unto death, if ye utter not this our business, —so shall it be, when Yahweh shall give us the land, that we will deal with thee in lovingkindness and in faithfulness.

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 And she let them down with a cord through the window, —for, her house, was within the wall of the rampart, and, within the rampart, she was dwelling.

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—To the mountain, get you, lest the pursuers, fall in, with you, —and hide yourselves there, three days until the pursuers return, and, afterwards, shall 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, —Free, will we be from 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 Lo! when we are coming into the land, this cord of crimson thread, must thou bind in the window by which thou didst let us down, and, thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all the household of thy father, must thou gather together unto thee unto the house.

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, whosoever shall go forth out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood, shall be on his own head and, we, shall be free, —but, whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood, shall be on our heads, if a, 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 Or, if thou utter this our business, then shall we be free from this thine oath which thou hast made us 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 to your words, so, shall it be. Thus sent she them away and they departed, —and she bound the crimson cord 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 into the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers had returned, —so the pursuers, made search, 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 And the two men returned and came down out of the mountain, and crossed over and came unto Joshua, son of Nun, —and recounted to him all that had befallen 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, Yahweh, hath delivered, into our hand all the land, —moreover also all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before us.

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