Joshua 2

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent from 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.

Therfor Josue, the sone of Nun, sente fro Sethym twei men, aspieris in hiddlis, and seide to hem, Go ye, and biholde ye the lond, and the citee of Jerico. Whiche yeden, and entriden into the hous of a womman hoore, `Raab bi name, and restiden at hir.

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.

And it was teld, `and seid to the kyng of Jerico, Lo! men of the sones of Israel entriden hidir bi nyyt, to aspie the lond.

3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have entered into thy house: for they have come to search out all the country.

Therfor the kyng of Jerico sente to Raab the hoore, and seide, Brynge out the men, that camen to thee, and entriden in to thin hous; for thei ben aspieris, and thei camen to biholde al the lond.

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

And the womman took the men, and hidde hem, and seide, Y knowleche, thei camen to me, but Y wiste not of whenus thei weren;

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

and whanne the yate was closid in derknessis, and thei yeden out to gidire, Y noot whidur thei yeden; pursue ye soone, and ye schulen take hem.

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 upon the roof.

Forsothe sche made the men to stie in to the soler of hir hows, and hilide hem with stobil of flex, that was there.

7 And the men pursued them the way to Jordan to the fords: and as soon as they who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

Sotheli thei, that weren sent, sueden hem bi the weie that ledith to the fordis of Jordan; and whanne thei weren goon out, anoon the yate was closid.

8 And before they had lain down, she came up to them upon the roof;

Thei that weren hid, slepten not yit, and lo! the womman stiede to hem, and seide,

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

Y knowe that the Lord hath bitake to you this lond; for youre feerdfulnesse felde in to vs, and alle the dwelleris of the lond `weren sike.

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

We herden, that the Lord driede the watris of the Reed See at youre entryng, whanne ye yeden out of Egipt; and what thingis ye diden to twei kyngis of Ammorreis, that weren biyende Jordan, to Seon and Og, whiche ye killiden;

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.

and we herden these thingis, and we dredden, and oure herte `was sike, and spirit dwellide not in vs at youre entryng; for youre Lord God hym silf is God in heuene aboue, and in erthe bynethe.

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

Now therfor swere ye to me bi the Lord God, that as Y dide merci with you, so and ye do with the hows of my fadir; and yyue ye to me a veri signe,

13 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.

that ye saue my fadir and modir, and my britheren and sistris, and alle thingis that ben herne, and dilyuere oure lyues fro deeth.

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

Whiche answeriden to hir, Oure lijf be for you in to deeth, if netheles thou bitraiest not vs; and whanne the Lord hath bitake to vs the lond, we schulen do mercy and treuthe in thee.

15 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.

Therfor sche let hem doun fro the wyndow bi a corde; for hir hows cleuyde to the wal.

16 And she said to them, Depart to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned: and afterward ye may go your way.

And sche seide to hem, Stie ye to the hilli places, lest perauenture men turnynge ayen meete you; and be ye hidde there three daies, til thei comen ayen; and so ye schulen go bi youre weie.

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

Whiche seiden to hir, We schulen be giltles of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs,

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

if, whanne we entren in to the lond, this reed corde is not a signe, and thou byndist it not in the wyndow, bi which thou lettist vs doun; and thou gaderist not in to thi hows thi fadir and modir, and britheren, and al thi kynrede; the blood of hym schal be on his heed,

19 And it shall be, that whoever 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 whoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

that goith out at the dore of thin hows, and we schulen be alien, that is, giltles; forsothe the blood of alle men that ben in the hows with thee, schal turne in to oure heed, if ony man touchith hem.

20 And if thou shalt utter this our business, then we will be free of thy oath which thou hast made us to swear.

`That if thou wolt betraie vs, and brynge forth in to the myddis this word, we schulen be cleene of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs.

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.

And sche answeride, As ye han spoke, so be it doon. And sche lefte hem, that thei schulden go, and sche hangide a reed corde in her wyndow.

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

Sotheli thei yeden, and camen to the hilli places, and dwelliden there three daies, til thei turneden ayen that pursueden; for thei souyten bi ech weie, and founden not hem.

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:

And whanne the sekeris entriden in to the citee, the spieris turneden ayen, and camen doun fro the hille; and whanne thei hadde passid Jordan, thei camen to Josue, the sone of Nun;

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

and thei telden to hym alle thingis that bifelden to hem, and seiden, The Lord hath bitake al the lond in to oure hondis, and alle the dwelleris thereof ben casten doun bi drede.