Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NET

Joshua 2
New English Translation

Joshua Sends Spies into the Land

2 Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them:[a] “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.”[b] They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.[c] 2 The king of Jericho received this report: “Note well![d] Israelite men have come here tonight[e] to spy on the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab:[f] “Turn over[g] the men who came to you[h]—the ones who came to your house[i]—for they have come to spy on the whole land!” 4 But the woman hid the two men[j] and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine,[k] but I didn’t know where they came from. 5 When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left.[l] I don’t know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!” 6 (Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out[m] on the roof.) 7 Meanwhile,[n] the king’s men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River[o] near the fords.[p] The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them.[q]

8 Now before the spies[r] went to sleep, Rahab[s] went up[t] to the roof. 9 She said to the men, “I know the Lord is handing this land over to you.[u] We are absolutely terrified of you,[v] and all who live in the land are cringing before[w] you.[x] 10 For we heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan.[y] 11 When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you.[z] For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! 12 So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord’s name.[aa] Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family.[ab] Give me a solemn pledge[ac] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and will rescue us[ad] from death.” 14 The men said to her, “If you[ae] die, may we die too![af] If you do not report what we’ve been up to,[ag] then we will show unswerving allegiance[ah] to you[ai] when the Lord hands the land over to us.”

15 Then Rahab[aj] let them down by a rope[ak] through the window. (Her[al] house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.)[am] 16 She told them, “Head[an] to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don’t find you.[ao] Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you[ap] to return. Then you can be on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met:[aq] 18 When we invade the land,[ar] tie this red rope[as] in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father’s house.[at] 19 Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death—we are innocent in that case![au] But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible.[av] 20 If you should report what we’ve been up to,[aw] we are not bound by this oath you made us swear.” 21 She said, “I agree to these conditions.”[ax] She sent them on their way[ay] and then tied the red rope in the window. 22 They went[az] to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them[ba] to return. Their pursuers[bb] looked all along the way but did not find them.[bc] 23 Then the two men returned—they came down from the hills, crossed the river,[bd] came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. 24 They told Joshua, “Surely the Lord is handing over all the land to us![be] All who live in the land are cringing before us!”[bf]

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “Joshua, son of Nun, sent from Shittim two men, spies, secretly, saying.”
  2. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “go, see the land, and Jericho.”
  3. Joshua 2:1 tn Heb “they went and entered the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name was Rahab, and they slept there.”
  4. Joshua 2:2 tn Or “look.”
  5. Joshua 2:2 tn Heb “men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel.”
  6. Joshua 2:3 tn Heb “and the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying.”
  7. Joshua 2:3 tn Heb “bring out.”
  8. Joshua 2:3 tn The idiom “come to” (בוֹא אֶל, boʾ ʾel) probably has sexual connotations here, as it often does elsewhere when a man “comes to” a woman. If so, the phrase could be translated “your clients.” The instructions reflect Rahab’s perspective as to the identity of the men.
  9. Joshua 2:3 tn The words “the ones who came to your house” (Heb “who came to your house”) may be a euphemistic scribal addition designed to blur the sexual connotation of the preceding words.
  10. Joshua 2:4 tn Heb “The woman took the two men and hid him.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix on “hid” has to be a scribal error (see GKC §135.p).
  11. Joshua 2:4 tn Heb “the men came to me.” See the note on this phrase in v. 3.
  12. Joshua 2:5 tn Heb “And the gate was to be shut in the darkness and the men went out.”
  13. Joshua 2:6 tn Heb “arranged in rows by her.”
  14. Joshua 2:7 tn Another way to translate vv. 6-7 would be, “While she took them up to the roof and hid them…, the king’s men tried to find them….” Both of the main clauses have the subject prior to the predicate, perhaps indicating simultaneous action. (On the grammatical point, see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 42, §235.) In this case Rahab moves the Israelite spies from the hiding place referred to in v. 4 to a safer and less accessible hiding place.
  15. Joshua 2:7 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarity.
  16. Joshua 2:7 tn Heb “And the men chased after them [on] the road [leading to] the Jordan to the fords.” The text is written from the perspective of the king’s men. As far as they were concerned, they were chasing the spies.
  17. Joshua 2:7 tn Heb “And they shut the gate after—as soon as the ones chasing after them went out.” The expressions “after” and “as soon as” may represent a conflation of alternate readings.
  18. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “they.”
  19. Joshua 2:8 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  20. Joshua 2:8 tn The Hebrew text adds, “to them.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has not been translated.
  21. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
  22. Joshua 2:9 tn Heb “terror of you has fallen upon us.”
  23. Joshua 2:9 tn Or “melting away because of.”
  24. Joshua 2:9 tn Both of these statements are actually subordinated to “I know” in the Hebrew text, which reads, “I know that the Lord…and that terror of you…and that all the inhabitants….”
  25. Joshua 2:10 tn Heb “and what you did to the two Amorite kings who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, how you annihilated them.”
  26. Joshua 2:11 tn Heb “And we heard and our heart[s] melted and there remained no longer breath in a man because of you.”
  27. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “Now, swear to me by the Lord.”sn To swear an oath in the Lord’s name would make the Lord the witness and guarantor of the promise attached to the oath. If the person making the oath should go back on the promise, the Lord would judge him for breaking the contract.
  28. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “with the house of my father.”
  29. Joshua 2:12 tn Heb “true sign,” that is, “an inviolable token or pledge.”
  30. Joshua 2:13 tn Or “our lives.”
  31. Joshua 2:14 tn The second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that Rahab’s entire family is in view.
  32. Joshua 2:14 tn Heb “Our lives in return for you to die.” If the lives of Rahab’s family are not spared, then the spies will pay for the broken vow with their own lives.
  33. Joshua 2:14 tn Heb “If you do not report this matter of ours.”
  34. Joshua 2:14 tn Heb “allegiance and faithfulness.” These virtual synonyms are joined in the translation as “unswerving allegiance” to emphasize the degree of promised loyalty.
  35. Joshua 2:14 tn The second person pronoun is feminine singular, referring specifically to Rahab.
  36. Joshua 2:15 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Joshua 2:15 tc The phrase “by a rope” is omitted in the LXX. It may be a later clarifying addition. If original, the omission in the LXX is likely due to an error of homoioarcton. A scribe’s or translator’s eye could have jumped from the initial ב (bet) in the phrase בַּחֶבֶל (bakhevel, “with a rope”) to the initial ב on the immediately following בְּעַד (beʿad, “through”) and accidentally omitted the intervening letters.
  38. Joshua 2:15 tn Heb “For her house.”
  39. Joshua 2:15 tc These explanatory statements are omitted in the LXX and probably represent a later scribal addition.
  40. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “Go.”
  41. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “so that the pursuers might not meet you.”
  42. Joshua 2:16 tn Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“you”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
  43. Joshua 2:17 tn Heb “We are free from this oath of yours which you made us swear.” The words “unless the following conditions are met” are not in the Hebrew text, but are added for clarification.
  44. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “Look! We are about to enter the land.”
  45. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “the cord of this red thread.”
  46. Joshua 2:18 tn Heb “and your father and your mother and your brothers and all the house of your father gather to yourself to the house.”
  47. Joshua 2:19 tn Heb “Anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood is on his head. We are innocent.”
  48. Joshua 2:19 tn Heb “But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood is on our head if a hand should be on him.”
  49. Joshua 2:20 tn Heb “and if you report this matter of ours.”
  50. Joshua 2:21 tn Heb “According to your words, so it [will be].”
  51. Joshua 2:21 tn Heb “she sent them away and they went.”
  52. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “they went and came.”
  53. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “the pursuers.” The object (“them”) is added for clarification.
  54. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “the ones chasing them.” This has been rendered as “their pursuers” in the translation to avoid redundancy with the preceding clause.
  55. Joshua 2:22 tn Heb “The pursuers looked in all the way and did not find [them].”
  56. Joshua 2:23 tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, are added for clarification.
  57. Joshua 2:24 tn Heb “Surely the Lord has given into our hand all the land.” The report by the spies uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.
  58. Joshua 2:24 tn Heb “are melting away because of us.”
Close CNVS

约书亚记 2
Chinese New Version (Simplified)

约书亚派探子进耶利哥

2 于是，嫩的儿子约书亚从什亭秘密地差派两个探子，对他们说：“你们去窥探那地，尤其是耶利哥。”二人去了，来到一个名叫喇合的妓女家中，就在那里住宿。 2 有人向耶利哥王报告：“今夜从以色列人那里有人进来，要窥探这地。” 3 耶利哥王派人到喇合那里，说：“把那些来到你这里，进了你家中的人带出来，因为他们来是要窥探全地的。” 4 但那女人已把那两个人藏起来，还这样回答王：“不错，那些人到过我这里来，但是，我不知道他们是从哪里来的。 5 天黑、城门快要关的时候，那些人出去了；我不知道他们到哪里去。你们快去追赶，必可以追上他们。” 6 其实她领他们上了屋顶，把他们藏在堆放在屋顶的麻秸里面。 7 那些人就沿着往约旦河的路上追赶他们，直到渡口；追赶的人一出城，城门就关上了。

探子与喇合之约

8 两个探子还没有躺下睡觉，那女人就上屋顶到他们那里去， 9 对他们二人说：“我知道耶和华已经把这地赐给你们了，你们使我们十分害怕，这地所有的居民都在你们面前胆战心惊。 10 因为我们听见你们从埃及出来的时候，耶和华怎样使红海的水在你们面前干了，以及你们怎样对待约旦河东亚摩利人的两个王西宏和噩，把他们完全消灭。 11 我们听见了，就都心里惊怕；没有一人再有勇气在你们面前站立；因为耶和华你们的　神是天上、也是地上的　神。 12 现在求你们指着耶和华向我起誓：我既然恩待了你们，你们也要恩待我的父家，并且给我一个确实的凭据， 13 放过我的父母、兄弟姊妹和他们所有的一切，救我们的命不致死亡。” 14 两个探子就对她说：“如果你不泄漏我们这次行动，我们愿以性命作你们的保证；耶和华把这地赐给我们的时候，我们必定以慈爱和诚实待你们。”

15 于是，那女人用绳子把二人从窗户缒下去，因为她的房屋是在城墙上，她就住在城墙上。 16 她对他们二人说：“你们要到山上去，免得追赶的人遇上你们；你们要在那里躲藏三天，等追赶的人回城，然后你们才可以走你们的路。” 17 他们二人对她说：“如果你不遵照我们的话行，你叫我们起的誓就与我们无关了。 18 你要留意，我们再到这地方的时候，你要把这条朱红色线系在你缒我们下去的窗户上；你也要把你的父母、兄弟和你父的全家，都聚集在你的屋里。 19 任何人走出你家门，到外面去的，他的血就必归到他自己的头上，与我们无关；任何人同你在屋里的，如果有人下手加害他，他的血就归到我们头上。 20 如果你泄漏了我们这次的行动，那么，你叫我们起的誓就与我们无关了。” 21 那女人回答：“照你们的话，就这样吧。”于是打发他们二人走了。他们走了以后，她就把朱红色线系在窗户上。

探子回报

22 二人离去，上到山上，在那里住了三天，等追赶的人回城去了；追赶的人一路搜寻他们，却找不着。 23 二人于是下山回去，过了约旦河，回到嫩的儿子约书亚那里，把他们遭遇的一切事向他报告。 24 他们又对约书亚说：“耶和华真的把那地全交在我们手里了；那地所有的居民都在我们面前胆战心惊。”

Listen to Joshua 2
Close NIV

Joshua 2
New International Version

Rahab and the Spies

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies(A) from Shittim.(B) “Go, look over(C) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.(D)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab(E) and stayed there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:(F) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

4 But the woman had taken the two men(G) and hidden them.(H) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,(I) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”(J) 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax(K) she had laid out on the roof.)(L) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(M) and as soon as the pursuers(N) had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(O) 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(P) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up(Q) the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,(R) and what you did to Sihon and Og,(S) the two kings of the Amorites(T) east of the Jordan,(U) whom you completely destroyed.[b](V) 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear(W) and everyone’s courage failed(X) because of you,(Y) for the Lord your God(Z) is God in heaven above and on the earth(AA) below.

12 “Now then, please swear to me(AB) by the Lord that you will show kindness(AC) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign(AD) 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them(AE)—and that you will save us from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives!”(AF) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully(AG) when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 So she let them down by a rope(AH) through the window,(AI) for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills(AJ) so the pursuers(AK) will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days(AL) until they return, and then go on your way.”(AM)

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath(AN) you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord(AO) in the window(AP) through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family(AQ) into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;(AR) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head(AS) if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.(AT)”

21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord(AU) in the window.(AV)

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,(AW) until the pursuers(AX) had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands;(AY) all the people are melting in fear(AZ) because of us.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Next
Joshua 1
Joshua 3
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Chinese New Version (Simplified) (CNVS)

Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV