Joshua 2

1 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.

And Josue the son of Nun sent from Setim two men, to spy secretly: and said to them: Go, and view the land and the city of Jericho. They went and entered into the house of a woman that was a harlot named Rahab, and lodged with her.

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

And it was told the king of Jericho, and was said: Behold there are men come in hither, by night, of the children of Israel, to spy the land.

3 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.”

And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying: Bring forth the men that came to thee, and are entered into thy house: for they are spies, and are come to view all the land.

4 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.

And the woman taking the men, hid them, and said: I confess they came to me, but I knew not whence they were:

5 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.”

And at the time of shutting the gate in the dark, they also went out together. I know not whither they are gone: pursue after them quickly, and you will overtake them.

6 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.

But she made the men go up to the top of her house, and covered them with the stalks of flax, which was there.

7 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.

Now they that were sent, pursued after them, by the way that leadeth to the fords of the Jordan: and as soon as they were gone out, the gate was presently shut.

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

The men that were hidden were not yet asleep, when behold the woman went up to them, and said:

9 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.

I know that the Lord hath given this land to you: for the dread of you is fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have lost all strength.

10 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.

We have heard that the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea at your going in, when you came out of Egypt: and what things you did to the two kings of the Amorrhites, that were beyond the Jordan: Sehon and Og whom you slew.

11 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.

And hearing these things we were affrighted, and our heart fainted away, neither did there remain any spirit in us at your coming in: for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath.

12 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

Now therefore swear ye to me by the Lord, that as I have shewn mercy to you, so you also will shew mercy to my father’s house: and give me a true token,

13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters and all their families, and that you will save us from death.”

That you will save my father and mother, my brethren and sisters, and all things that are theirs, and deliver our souls from death.

14 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.”

They answered her: Be our lives for you unto death, only if thou betray us not. And when the Lord shall have delivered us the land, we will shew thee mercy and truth.

15 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.

Then she let them down with a cord out of a window: for her house joined close to the wall.

16 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.”

And she said to them: Get ye up to the mountains, lest perhaps they meet you as they return: and there lie ye hid three days, till they come back, and so you shall go on your way.

17 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.

And they said to her: We shall be blameless of this oath, which thou hast made us swear:

18 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.

If when we come into the land, this scarlet cord be a sign, and thou tie it in the window, by which thou hast let us down: and gather together thy father and mother, and brethren and all thy kindred into thy house.

19 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.

Whosoever shall go out of the door of thy house, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we shall be quit. But the blood of all that shall be with thee in the house, shall light upon our head, if any man touch them.

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

But if thou wilt betray us, and utter this word abroad, we shall be quit of this oath which thou hast made us swear.

21 Rahab replied, “May what you say be done.” She sent them away and they left. Then she tied the scarlet rope in the window.

And she answered: As you have spoken, so be it done. And sending them on their way, she hung the scarlet cord in the window.

22 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.

But they went and came to the mountains, and stayed there three days till they that pursued them were returned. For having sought them through all the way, they found them not.

23 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.

And when they were gone back into the city, the spies returned, and came down from the mountain: and passing over the Jordan, they came to Josue the son of Nun, and told him all that befel them.

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

And said: The Lord hath delivered all this land into our hands, and all the inhabitants thereof are overthrown with fear.