Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Naue sent out of Sattin two young men to spy [the land], saying, Go up and view the land and Jericho: and the two young men went and entered into Jericho; and they entered into the house of a harlot, whose name [was] Raab, and lodged there.

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.

2 An it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, Men of the sons of Israel have come in hither to spy the land.

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

3 And the king of Jericho sent and spoke to Raab, saying, Bring out the men that entered into your house this night; for they are come to spy out the land.

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

4 And the woman took the two men and hid them; and she spoke to the messengers, saying, The men came in to me,

And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I knew not whence they were:

5 but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if you may overtake them.

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

6 But she [had] brought them up upon the house, and hid them in the flax-stalks that were spread by her on the house.

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 upon the roof.

7 And the men followed after them in the way to Jordan to the fords; and the gate was shut.

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

8 And it came to pass when the men who pursued after them were gone forth, and before the spies had lain down to sleep, that she came up to them on the top of the house;

And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9 and she said to them, I know that the Lord has given you the land; for the fear of you has fallen upon us.

And she said unto the men, I know that YHWH hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 For we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you, when you came out of the land of Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

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

11 And when we heard it we were amazed in our heart, and there was no longer any spirit in any of us because of you, for the Lord your god [is] God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath.

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 YHWH your Elohim, he is Elohim in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

12 And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do you also deal mercifully with the house of my father:

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by YHWH, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:

13 and save alive the house of my father, my mother, and my brethren, and all my house, and all that they have, and you shall rescue my soul from death.

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

14 And the men said to her, Our life for yours [even] to death: and she said, When the Lord shall have delivered the city to you, you shall deal mercifully and truly with me.

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

15 And she let them down by the window;

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

16 and she said to them, Depart into the hill-country, lest the pursuers meet you, and you shall be hidden there three days until your pursuers return from after you, and afterwards you shall depart on your way.

And she said unto 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 ye go your way.

17 And the men said to her, We are clear of this your oath.

And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

18 Behold, we shall enter into a part of the city, and you shall set a sign; you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window, by which you have let us down, and you shall bring in to yourself, into your house, your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all the family of your father.

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

19 And it shall come to pass that whoever shall go outside the door of your house, his guilt shall be upon him, and we shall be quit of this your oath; and we will be responsible for all that shall be found with you in your house.

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

20 But if any one should injure us, or betray these our matters, we shall be quit of this your oath.

And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

21 And she said to them, Let it be according to your word; and she sent them out, and they departed.

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

22 And they came to the hill-country, and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads, and found them not.

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

23 And the two young men returned, and came down out of the mountain; and they went over to Joshua the son of Naue, and told him all things that had happened to them.

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:

24 And they said to Joshua, The Lord has delivered all the land into our power, and all the inhabitants of that land tremble because of us.

And they said unto Joshua, Truly YHWH hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.