Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

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 told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

It was told to the king of Jericho, “Look, men of Israel have come here to spy on the land.”

3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to you, which are entered into your house: for they be come to search out all the country.

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 woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men to me, but I knew not from where they were:

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 it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: where the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for you shall overtake them.

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 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.

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 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan to the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

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 And before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof;

The men had not yet lain down for the night, when she came up to them on the roof.

9 And she said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

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 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

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 as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

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 therefore, I pray you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token:

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 And that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

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 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if you utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.

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 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was on the town wall, and she dwelled on the wall.

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 she said to them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may you go your way.

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 And the men said to her, We will be blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear.

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 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by: and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father’s household, home to you.

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 And it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his head, and we will be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be on him.

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 And if you utter this our business, then we will be quit of your oath which you have made us to swear.

But if you speak about our business, we will be free from the oath you made us swear.”

21 And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

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 And they went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

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 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

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 they said to Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given this land to us. All the inhabitants of the land are melting away because of us.”