Josua 2

1 Josua, Nuns Søn, udsendte hemmeligt fra Sjittim to Mænd som Spejdere med den Befaling: "Gå hen og undersøg Landet, særlig Jeriko!" De gav sig da på Vej og kom ind i et Hus til en Skøge ved Navn Rahab, og der lagde de sig til Hvile.

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 Da blev der meldt Kongen af Jeriko: "Se, der er kommet nogle israelitiske Mænd hertil i Nat for at udspejde Landet!"

The king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”

3 Og Kongen af Jeriko sendte Bud til Rahab og lod sige: "Udlever de Mænd, som er kommet til dig; thi de er kommet for at udspejde hele Landet!"

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 Men Kvinden tog og skjulte de to Mænd og sagde: "Ja, Mændene kom ganske vist til mig, men jeg vidste ikke, hvor de var fra;

The woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.

5 og da Porten skulde lukkes i Mørkningen, gik Mændene bort. Jeg ved ikke, hvor de gik hen! Sæt hurtigt efter dem, så kan I indhente dem!"

About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

6 Men hun havde ført dem op på Taget og skjult dem under Hørstænglerne, som hun havde bredt ud på Taget.

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 Mændene satte så efter dem ad Vejen til Jordan hen til Vadestederne, og Porten blev lukket, så snart Forfølgerne var udenfor.

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 Før de to Mænd endnu havde lagt sig, kom hun op på Taget til dem;

Before they had lain down, she came up to them on the roof.

9 og hun sagde til dem: "Jeg ved, at HERREN har givet eder Landet, thi vi er grebet af Rædsel for eder, og alle Landets Indbyggere er skrækslagne over eder.

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 Thi vi har hørt, hvorledes HERREN lod Vandet i det røde Hav tørre bort foran eder, da I drog ud af Ægypten, og hvad I gjorde ved de to Amoriterkonger hinsides Jordan, Sihon og Og, på hvem I lagde Band.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Sea of Suf 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 Da vi hørte det, blev vi slaget af Rædsel og tabte alle Modet over for eder; thi HERREN eders Gud er Gud oppe i Himmelen og nede på Jorden.

As soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t 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 Men tilsværg mig nu ved HERREN, at I vil vise Godhed mod mit Fædrene hus, ligesom jeg har vist Godhed mod eder, og giv mig et sikkert Tegn på,

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 at I vil lade min Fader og Moder, mine Brødre og Søstre og alt, hvad deres er, blive i Live og redde os fra Døden!"

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 Da sagde Mændene til hende: "Vi indestår med vort Liv for eder, hvis du ikke røber vort Forehavende; og når HERREN giver os Landet, vil vi vise dig Godhed og Trofasthed!"

The men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t 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 Derpå hejsede hun dem med et Reb ned gennem Vinduet, thi hendes Hus lå ved Bymuren, og hun boede ved Muren;

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 og hun sagde til dem: "Gå ud i Bjergene, for at eders Forfølgere ikke skal træffe eder, og hold eder skjult der i tre Dage, indtil eders Forfølgere er vendt tilbage; efter den Tid kan I gå eders Vej!"

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 Mændene sagde til hende: "På denne Måde vil vi bære os ad med at holde den Ed, du har ladet os sværge

The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.

18 Når vi kommer ind i Landet, skal du binde denne røde Snor fast i det Vindue, du har hejst os ned igennem, og så skal du samle din Fader og din Moder, dine Brødre og hele dit Fædrenehus hos dig i Huset.

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 Enhver, som så går uden for din Husdør, må selv tage Ansvaret for sit Liv, uden at der falder Skyld på os; men hvis der lægges Hånd på nogen af dem, som bliver i Huset hos dig, hviler Ansvaret på os.

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 Hvis du derimod røber vort Forehavende, er vi løst fra den Ed, du lod os sværge!"

But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”

21 Da sagde hun: "Lad det være, som I siger!" Så lod hun dem drage bort; og hun bandt den røde Snor fast i Vinduet.

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 Men de begav sig ud i Bjergene og blev der i tre Dage, indtil deres Forfølgere var vendt tilbage. Og Forfølgerne ledte overalt på Vejen uden at finde dem.

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 didn’t find them.

23 Derpå begav de to Mænd sig på Tilbagevejen, og efter at være steget ned fra Bjergene gik de over Floden; og de kom til Josua, Nuns Søn, og fortalte ham alt, hvad der var hændet dem.

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 Og de sagde til Josua: "HERREN har givet hele Landet i vor Magt, og alle Landets Indbyggere er skrækslagne over os!"

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.”