¹⁵ Then Joshua made a treaty of peace^(A) with them to let them live,^(B) and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

² The king summoned the Gibeonites^(A) and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.)

¹⁹ Except for the Hivites^(A) living in Gibeon,^(B) not one city made a treaty of peace^(C) with the Israelites, who took them all in battle.

¹⁰ When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.^{(A) 11} If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject^(B) to forced labor^(C) and shall work for you.

²² Joshua said to the two men^(A) who had spied out^(B) the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.^(C)” ²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.^(D) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city^(E) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(F) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.^{(G) 25} But Joshua spared^(H) Rahab the prostitute,^(I) with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho^(J)—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

⁷ If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted,^(A) torn down and destroyed, ⁸ and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent^(B) and not inflict on it the disaster^(C) I had planned.

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

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

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

¹⁷ Now the men had said to her, “This oath^(M) you made us swear will not be binding on us ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord^(N) in the window^(O) through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family^(P) into your house. ¹⁹ If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;^(Q) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head^(R) if a hand is laid on them.

³² Do not make a covenant^(A) with them or with their gods.