⁶ Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised^(A) men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing^(B) can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many^(C) or by few.^(D)”

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign^(E) that the Lord has given them into our hands.^(F)”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews^(G) are crawling out of the holes they were hiding^(H) in.” ¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.^(I)”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand^(J) of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

⁶ Be strong^(A) and courageous,^(B) because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors^(C) to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey^(D) all the law^(E) my servant Moses^(F) gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,^(G) that you may be successful wherever you go.^{(H) 8} Keep this Book of the Law^(I) always on your lips;^(J) meditate^(K) on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.^{(L) 9} Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;^(M) do not be discouraged,^(N) for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”^(O)

¹⁰ So Joshua ordered the officers of the people:^{(P) 11} “Go through the camp^(Q) and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions^(R) ready. Three days^(S) from now you will cross the Jordan^(T) here to go in and take possession^(U) of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

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.”