Joshua 2
1 Therfor Josue, the sone of Nun, sente fro Sethym twei men, aspieris in hiddlis, and seide to hem, Go ye, and biholde ye the lond, and the citee of Jerico. Whiche yeden, and entriden into the hous of a womman hoore, `Raab bi name, and restiden at hir.
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 And it was teld, `and seid to the kyng of Jerico, Lo! men of the sones of Israel entriden hidir bi nyyt, to aspie the lond.
The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”
3 Therfor the kyng of Jerico sente to Raab the hoore, and seide, Brynge out the men, that camen to thee, and entriden in to thin hous; for thei ben aspieris, and thei camen to biholde al the lond.
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 womman took the men, and hidde hem, and seide, Y knowleche, thei camen to me, but Y wiste not of whenus thei weren;
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 and whanne the yate was closid in derknessis, and thei yeden out to gidire, Y noot whidur thei yeden; pursue ye soone, and ye schulen take hem.
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 Forsothe sche made the men to stie in to the soler of hir hows, and hilide hem with stobil of flex, that was there.
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 Sotheli thei, that weren sent, sueden hem bi the weie that ledith to the fordis of Jordan; and whanne thei weren goon out, anoon the yate was closid.
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 Thei that weren hid, slepten not yit, and lo! the womman stiede to hem, and seide,
Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.
9 Y knowe that the Lord hath bitake to you this lond; for youre feerdfulnesse felde in to vs, and alle the dwelleris of the lond `weren sike.
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 We herden, that the Lord driede the watris of the Reed See at youre entryng, whanne ye yeden out of Egipt; and what thingis ye diden to twei kyngis of Ammorreis, that weren biyende Jordan, to Seon and Og, whiche ye killiden;
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 we herden these thingis, and we dredden, and oure herte `was sike, and spirit dwellide not in vs at youre entryng; for youre Lord God hym silf is God in heuene aboue, and in erthe bynethe.
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 Now therfor swere ye to me bi the Lord God, that as Y dide merci with you, so and ye do with the hows of my fadir; and yyue ye to me a veri signe,
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 that ye saue my fadir and modir, and my britheren and sistris, and alle thingis that ben herne, and dilyuere oure lyues fro deeth.
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 Whiche answeriden to hir, Oure lijf be for you in to deeth, if netheles thou bitraiest not vs; and whanne the Lord hath bitake to vs the lond, we schulen do mercy and treuthe in thee.
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 Therfor sche let hem doun fro the wyndow bi a corde; for hir hows cleuyde to the wal.
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 sche seide to hem, Stie ye to the hilli places, lest perauenture men turnynge ayen meete you; and be ye hidde there three daies, til thei comen ayen; and so ye schulen go bi youre weie.
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 Whiche seiden to hir, We schulen be giltles of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs,
The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made us to swear.
18 if, whanne we entren in to the lond, this reed corde is not a signe, and thou byndist it not in the wyndow, bi which thou lettist vs doun; and thou gaderist not in to thi hows thi fadir and modir, and britheren, and al thi kynrede; the blood of hym schal be on his heed,
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 that goith out at the dore of thin hows, and we schulen be alien, that is, giltles; forsothe the blood of alle men that ben in the hows with thee, schal turne in to oure heed, if ony man touchith hem.
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 `That if thou wolt betraie vs, and brynge forth in to the myddis this word, we schulen be cleene of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs.
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 sche answeride, As ye han spoke, so be it doon. And sche lefte hem, that thei schulden go, and sche hangide a reed corde in her wyndow.
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 Sotheli thei yeden, and camen to the hilli places, and dwelliden there three daies, til thei turneden ayen that pursueden; for thei souyten bi ech weie, and founden not hem.
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 whanne the sekeris entriden in to the citee, the spieris turneden ayen, and camen doun fro the hille; and whanne thei hadde passid Jordan, thei camen to Josue, the sone of Nun;
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 thei telden to hym alle thingis that bifelden to hem, and seiden, The Lord hath bitake al the lond in to oure hondis, and alle the dwelleris thereof ben casten doun bi drede.
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.”
