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.
Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim. “Go and explore the land, especially around Jericho,” he told them. So they went, and stayed at the house of woman named Rahab, a prostitute. There they spent the night.
2 Nunciatumque est regi Iericho, et dictum: Ecce viri ingressi sunt huc per noctem de filiis Israel, ut explorarent Terram.
But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy 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.
So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, telling her, “Hand over the men who came to visit you and stay in your house, for they've come to spy out our whole country.”
4 Tollensque mulier viros, abscondit, et ait: Fateor, venerunt ad me, sed nesciebam unde essent:
The woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She told the king's messengers, “Yes, it's true—the men did come to visit me, but I didn't know where they were from.
5 cumque porta clauderetur in tenebris, et illi pariter exierunt, nescio quo abierunt: persequimini cito, et comprehendetis eos.
They left at sundown, just as the city gate was closing. I've no idea where they went. If you're quick, you can chase after them and maybe catch up with them.”
6 Ipsa autem fecit ascendere viros in solarium domus suae, operuitque eos stipula lini, quae ibi erat.
(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)
7 Hi autem, qui missi fuerant, secuti sunt eos per viam, quae ducit ad vadum Iordanis: illisque egressis statim porta clausa est.
The king's messengers went chasing after the men down the road that leads to the Jordan River fords. As soon as the pursuers had left, the city gate was shut behind them.
8 Necdum obdormierant qui latebant, et ecce mulier ascendit ad eos, et ait:
Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.
9 Novi quod Dominus tradiderit vobis Terram: etenim irruit in nos terror vester, et elanguerunt omnes habitatores Terrae.
She told them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We're all terrified of you. Everyone who lives here is dying of fright since you people arrived.
10 Audivimus quod siccaverit Dominus aquas Maris rubri ad vestrum introitum, quando egressi estis ex Aegypto: et quae feceritis duobus Amorrhaeorum regibus, qui erant trans Iordanem: Sehon et Og, quos interfecistis.
We've heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed.
11 Et haec audientes pertimuimus, et elanguit cor nostrum, nec remansit in nobis spiritus ad introitum vestrum: Dominus enim Deus vester ipse est Deus in caelo sursum, et in terra deorsum.
When we heard all this, our courage melted away. Nobody had any fighting spirit left because of you. For the Lord your God is God of heaven above and the earth below.
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,
So now promise me in the name of the Lord that because I have acted in good faith to you, then you will do the same for my family. Give me some sign that I can trust you,
13 ut salvetis patrem meum et matrem, et fratres ac sorores meas, et omnia quae illorum sunt, et eruatis animas nostras a morte.
that you will spare my father and mother and brothers and sisters—and all who are part of their families—that you will save them 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.
“Our lives for yours!” the men told her. “If you don't tell anyone about this, we will treat you honestly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 Demisit ergo eos per funem de fenestra: domus enim eius haerebat muro.
Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window since the house where she lived was built into the outside of the city 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.
“Run to the hills,” she told them. “That way those searching for you won't find you. Stay there three days until they've gone home, and then you can be on your way.”
17 Qui dixerunt ad eam: Innoxii erimus a iuramento hoc, quo adiurasti nos:
The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,
18 si ingredientibus nobis Terram, signum non 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.
unless when we enter this land, you hang a scarlet cord in the window through which you lowered us. You must gather together in the house your father and mother and brothers—all the family.
19 Qui ostium domus tuae 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.
If anyone leaves your house and is killed, that's their fault—we're not responsible for their death. But if anyone lays a hand on someone who is inside your house, we take full responsibility for their death.
20 Quod si nos prodere volueris, et sermonem istum proferre in medium, erimus mundi ab hoc iuramento, quo adiurasti nos.
But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”
21 Et illa respondit: Sicut locuti estis, ita fiat. dimittensque eos ut pergerent, appendit funiculum coccineum in fenestra.
“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.
22 Illi vero ambulantes pervenerunt ad montana, et manserunt ibi tres dies, donec reverterentur qui fuerant persecuti: quaerentes enim per omnem viam, non repererunt eos.
They went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men searching for them looked all along the road, but couldn't find them, so they returned home.
23 Quibus urbem ingressis, reversi sunt, et descenderunt exploratores de monte: et, transmisso Iordane, venerunt ad Iosue filium Nun, narraveruntque ei omnia quae acciderant sibi,
Then the two men started back. They came down from the hill country and crossed over the Jordan. They went to Joshua and explained to him all that had happened to them.
24 atque dixerunt: Tradidit Dominus omnem terram hanc in manus nostras, et timore prostrati sunt cuncti habitatores eius.
“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”
