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.
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men out from Shittim as spies. He said, “Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.” They went away and came to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and they lodged 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.
It was told to the king of Jericho, “Look, men of Israel have come here to spy on 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.
The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who have come to you who entered your house, for they have come to spy on the whole 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;
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She replied, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were 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.
They left when it was dusk, when it was time for the city gate to shut. I do not know where they went. You will probably catch them if you hurry after 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 taken them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out 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.
So the men pursued them on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan. The gate was shut as soon as the pursuers went out.
8 Thei that weren hid, slepten not yit, and lo! the womman stiede to hem, and seide,
The men had not yet lain down for the night, when 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, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land and that the fear of you has come upon us. All those who live in the land will 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;
We have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds for you when you came out of Egypt. We also heard what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on other side of the Jordan—Sihon and Og—whom you completely 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 no courage left in anyone—for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
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 then, please swear to me by Yahweh that, just as I have been kind to you, you will also deal kindly with my father's house. Give me a sure 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.
that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters and all their families, and that you will save us 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, even to death! If you do not speak about our business, then, when Yahweh gives us this land we will be merciful and faithful to you.”
15 Therfor sche let hem doun fro the wyndow bi a corde; for hir hows cleuyde to the wal.
So she let them down out through the window using a rope. The house in which she lived was built into the wall of the city.
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 in the hills and hide or the pursuers will find you. Hide there for three days until the pursuers have returned. Then go on 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 not be bound to the promises of the oath you made us swear to, if you do not do this.
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,
When we come into the land, you must tie this scarlet rope in the window through which you let us down, and you will gather into the house your father and 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.
Whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, their blood will be upon their own heads and we will be guiltless. But if a hand is laid upon any who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head.
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 speak about our business, we will be free from the oath you made us 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.
Rahab replied, “May what you say be done.” She sent them away and they left. Then she tied the scarlet rope 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 left and went up into the hills and they stayed there three days until their pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the road and found nothing.
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;
The two men returned and crossed over and came back to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him everything 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 Yahweh has given this land to us. All the inhabitants of the land are melting away because of us.”
