Yosua 2

1 Afei, Yosua somaa akwansrafo baanu wɔ kokoa mu fii Israelfo atenae a ɛwɔ Sitim. Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monkɔsra asase a ɛda Yordan agya no, ne titiriw nea atwa Yeriko ho ahyia no.” Enti, mmarima baanu no sii mu koduu oguamanfo bi a ne din de Rahab fi, na wɔtenaa hɔ anadwo no.

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 Obi kɔka kyerɛɛ Yerikohene se, “Anadwo yi ara, Israelfo no bi aba ha a wɔrebɛsra asase yi.”

But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.”

3 Enti Yerikohene soma kɔɔ Rahab nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Fa mmarima a wɔabɛsoɛ wo no ma yɛn. Wɔyɛ akwansrafo a wɔrebɛsra yɛn asase yi ahwehwɛ ɔkwan a wɔbɛfa so atow ahyɛ yɛn so.”

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 Rahab a na ɔde mmarima baanu no asie no buae se, “Mmarima no baa me ha de, nanso minnim faako a wofi bae.

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 Ade reyɛ asa a wɔrebɛtoto kuropɔn no apon mu no na wɔkɔe, nso manhu faako a wɔfae. Sɛ moyɛ ntɛm tiw wɔn a, ebia, mobɛto wɔn.”

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 (Nanso, na ɔde wɔn akɔhyɛ ɔdan atifi, akohintaw ɔfo a waboa ano akuwakuw ase.)

(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)

7 Enti, ɔhene asomafo no sii mu sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ akwansrafo no wɔ ɔkwan a ɛkɔ Asubɔnten Yordan asutwabea hɔ. Asomafo no fi hɔ ara pɛ na wɔtotoo kuropɔn no apon mu.

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 Ansa na akwansrafo no rebɛda anadwo no, Rahab kɔɔ ɔdan no atifi ne wɔn kɔkasae se,

Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.

9 “Minim sɛ Awurade de saa asase yi ama mo. Yɛn nyinaa suro mo. Yɛn mu biara abɔ huboa.

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 Yɛate sɛnea Awurade maa Po Kɔkɔɔ no yow ma munyaa kwan faa mu bere a mufii Misraim no. Na yenim sɛnea moyɛɛ Sihon ne Og a na wɔyɛ Amorifo ahemfo wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apuei fam no ne sɛnea mosɛee wɔn nkurɔfo pasaa no.

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 Ɛnyɛ nwonwa sɛ yɛn koma atu na yɛabɔ huboa. Obiara nni akokoduru a sɛ ɔte nsɛm a ɛte sɛɛ a, ɔbɛko. Na Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no, ne otumfo Nyankopɔn a ɔwɔ ɔsorosoro ne asase ase.

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 “Enti momfa Awurade nka ntam nkyerɛ me se, esiane sɛ maboa mo nti, mobɛyɛ me ne mʼabusuafo adom. Momfa biribi nsi mo bɔhyɛ so se,

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 moko fa Yeriko a, morenkum me ne mʼagya ne me na, me nuabarimanom ne nuabeanom ne wɔn ho nnipa nyinaa.”

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 Mmarima no penee so kae se, “Yɛde yɛn nkwa si yɛn bɔhyɛ so. Sɛ woanyi yɛn amma na sɛ Awurade de asase no ma yɛn a, yebedi yɛn bɔhyɛ so.”

“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 Esiane sɛ wosii Rahab fi sii kurow no fasu so nti, ɔde hama sian wɔn faa mfɛnsere mu maa wosii fam.

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 Afei ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Munguan mfa bepɔw so man no so. Momfa mo ho nsie nnansa kosi sɛ atiwfo no a wɔrehwehwɛ mo no bɛsan wɔn akyi ansa na moakɔ mo kwan.”

“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 Ansa na mmarima no bɛkɔ no, wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yɛbɛbɔ mo nkwa ho ban

The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,

18 na mmom, gyaw hama kɔkɔɔ a ɛsɛn wo mfɛnsere ano no na ma wʼabusuafo a ɛyɛ wʼagya, wo na, wo nuabarimanom ne wɔn abusuafo nyinaa mmɛhyɛ ofi no mu a wɔnnkɔ baabiara.

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 Sɛ wopue si abɔnten a, wobekum wɔn nyinaa na obi ntumi mmɔ yɛn sobo sɛ yɛabu yɛn ntam so. Na yɛka ntam sɛ, obiara a ɔhyɛ ofi yi mu no, wɔrenkum no. Obiara nso renteɛ ne nsa wɔ wɔn so.

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 Na sɛ wudi yɛn huammɔ de a, ntam yi nnkyekyere yɛn ɔkwan biara so.”

But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”

21 Ɔbea no buae se, “Mepene mo nhyehyɛe no nyinaa so.” Ogyaa wɔn kwan, bere a hama kɔkɔɔ no sɛn ofi no mfɛnsere no ano.

“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.

22 Akwansrafo no kɔɔ bepɔw asase no so kɔtenaa hɔ nnansa. Atiwfo no hwehwɛɛ ɔkwan no so baabiara, san kɔɔ wɔn kurom a wɔanhu akwansrafo no wɔ baabiara.

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 Afei akwansrafo baanu no sian fii bepɔw asase no so twaa Asubɔnten Yordan bɛkaa nsɛm a ɛtoo wɔn nyinaa kyerɛɛ Yosua.

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 Wɔkae se, “Ampa ara Awurade de asase no nyinaa bɛma yɛn, efisɛ yɛn ho hu atɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so nyinaa so.”

“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”