< Iosue 2 >

1 Misit igitur Iosue filius Nun de Setim duos viros exploratores in abscondito: et dixit eis: Ite, et considerate Terram, urbemque Iericho. Qui pergentes ingressi sunt domum mulieris meretricis, nomine Rahab, et quieverunt apud eam.
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go view the land, and Jericho. And they went, and came into the house of an harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there.
2 Nunciatumque est regi Iericho, et dictum: Ecce viri ingressi sunt huc per noctem de filiis Israel, ut explorarent Terram.
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.
3 Misitque rex Iericho ad Rahab dicens: Educ viros, qui venerunt ad te, et ingressi sunt domum tuam: exploratores quippe sunt, et omnem Terram considerare venerunt.
And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.
4 Tollensque mulier viros, abscondit, et ait: Fateor, venerunt ad me, sed nesciebam unde essent:
And the woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
5 cumque porta clauderetur in tenebris, et illi pariter exierunt, nescio quo abierunt: persequimini cito, et comprehendetis eos.
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6 Ipsa autem fecit ascendere viros in solarium domus suæ, operuitque eos stipula lini, quæ ibi erat.
But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 Hi autem, qui missi fuerant, secuti sunt eos per viam, quæ ducit ad vadum Iordanis: illisque egressis statim porta clausa est.
And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 Necdum obdormierant qui latebant, et ecce mulier ascendit ad eos, et ait:
And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9 Novi quod Dominus tradiderit vobis Terram: etenim irruit in nos terror vester, et elanguerunt omnes habitatores Terræ.
and she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
10 Audivimus quod siccaverit Dominus aquas Maris rubri ad vestrum introitum, quando egressi estis ex Ægypto: et quæ feceritis duobus Amorrhæorum regibus, qui erant trans Iordanem: Sehon et Og, quos interfecistis.
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 Et hæc audientes pertimuimus, et elanguit cor nostrum, nec remansit in nobis spiritus ad introitum vestrum: Dominus enim Deus vester ipse est Deus in cælo sursum, et in terra deorsum.
And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, 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.
12 Nunc ergo iurate mihi per Dominum, ut quomodo ego misericordiam feci vobiscum, ita et vos faciatis cum domo patris mei: detisque mihi verum signum,
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true token:
13 ut salvetis patrem meum et matrem, et fratres ac sorores meas, et omnia quæ illorum sunt, et eruatis animas nostras a morte.
and that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.
14 Qui responderunt ei: Anima nostra sit pro vobis in mortem, si tamen non prodideris nos. cumque tradiderit nobis Dominus terram, faciemus in te misericordiam et veritatem.
And the men said unto her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business; and it shall be, when the LORD giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 Demisit ergo eos per funem de fenestra: domus enim eius hærebat muro.
Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 Dixitque ad eos: Ad montana conscendite, ne forte occurrant vobis revertentes: ibique latitate tribus diebus, donec redeant, et sic ibitis per viam vestram.
And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
17 Qui dixerunt ad eam: Innoxii erimus a iuramento hoc, quo adiurasti nos:
And the men said unto her, We will be guiltless of this thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
18 si ingredientibus nobis Terram, signum fuerit funiculus iste coccineus, et ligaveris eum in fenestra, per quam demisisti nos: et patrem tuum ac matrem, fratresque et omnem cognationem tuam congregaveris in domum tuam.
Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household.
19 Qui ostium domus tuæ egressus fuerit, sanguis ipsius erit in caput eius, et nos erimus alieni. Cunctorum autem sanguis, qui tecum in domo fuerint, redundabit in caput nostrum, si eos aliquis tetigerit.
And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20 Quod si nos prodere volueris, et sermonem istum proferre in medium, erimus mundi ab hoc iuramento, quo adiurasti nos.
But if thou utter this our business, then we will be guiltless of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
21 Et illa respondit: Sicut locuti estis, ita fiat. dimittensque eos ut pergerent, appendit funiculum coccineum in fenestra.
And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 Illi vero ambulantes pervenerunt ad montana, et manserunt ibi tres dies, donec reverterentur qui fuerant persecuti: quærentes enim per omnem viam, non repererunt eos.
And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23 Quibus urbem ingressis, reversi sunt, et descenderunt exploratores de monte: et, transmisso Iordane, venerunt ad Iosue filium Nun, narraveruntque ei omnia quæ acciderant sibi,
Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them.
24 atque dixerunt: Tradidit Dominus omnem terram hanc in manus nostras, et timore prostrati sunt cuncti habitatores eius.
And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.

< Iosue 2 >