Joshua 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Spies Sent to Jericho
2 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies(A) from the Acacia Grove,[a] saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab,(B) and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.(C) So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!” 6 But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them(D) among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof. 7 The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut.
The Promise to Rahab
8 Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land(E) and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.[b] 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt,(F) and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed(G) across the Jordan. 11 When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed[c] because of you,(H) for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you.[d] Give me a sure sign[e] 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.”
14 The men answered her, “We will give our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city. 16 “Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,” she said to them. “Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.”
17 The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18 unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head,(I) and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed,[f] his blood will be on our heads. 20 And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22 So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them. 23 Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them. 24 They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”[g]
Footnotes
- Joshua 2:1 Or from Shittim
- Joshua 2:9 Or land panics at your approach
- Joshua 2:11 Lit and spirit no longer remained in anyone
- Joshua 2:12 Lit to your father’s house
- Joshua 2:12 Or a sign of truth
- Joshua 2:19 Lit if a hand should be on him
- Joshua 2:24 Or also panics at our approach
Joshua 2
Living Bible
2 Then Joshua sent two spies from the Israeli camp at Acacia to cross the river and check out the situation on the other side, especially at Jericho. They arrived at an inn operated by a woman named Rahab, who was a prostitute. They were planning to spend the night there, 2 but someone informed the king of Jericho that two Israelis who were suspected of being spies had arrived in the city that evening. 3 He dispatched a police squadron to Rahab’s home, demanding that she surrender them.
“They are spies,” he explained. “They have been sent by the Israeli leaders to discover the best way to attack us.”
4 But she had hidden them, so she told the officer in charge, “The men were here earlier, but I didn’t know they were spies. 5 They left the city at dusk as the city gates were about to close, and I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them!”
6 But actually she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath piles of flax that were drying there. 7 So the constable and his men went all the way to the Jordan River looking for them; meanwhile, the city gates were kept shut. 8 Rahab went up to talk to the men before they retired for the night.
9 “I know perfectly well that your God is going to give my country to you,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you; everyone is terrified if the word Israel is even mentioned. 10 For we have heard how the Lord made a path through the Red Sea for you when you left Egypt! And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, and how you ruined their land and completely destroyed their people. 11 No wonder we are afraid of you! No one has any fight left in him after hearing things like that, for your God is the supreme God of heaven, not just an ordinary god. 12-13 Now I beg for this one thing: Swear to me by the sacred name of your God that when Jericho is conquered you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families. This is only fair after the way I have helped you.”
14 The men agreed. “If you won’t betray us, we’ll see to it that you and your family aren’t harmed,” they promised. 15 “We’ll defend you with our lives.” Then, since her house was on top of the city wall, she let them down by a rope from a window.
16 “Escape to the mountains,” she told them. “Hide there for three days until the men who are searching for you have returned; then go on your way.”
17-18 But before they left, the men had said to her, “We cannot be responsible for what happens to you unless this rope is hanging from this window and unless all your relatives—your father, mother, brothers, and anyone else—are here inside the house. 19 If they go out into the street, we assume no responsibility whatsoever; but we swear that no one inside this house will be killed or injured. 20 However, if you betray us, then this oath will no longer bind us in any way.”
21 “I accept your terms,” she replied. And she left the scarlet rope hanging from the window.
22 The spies went up into the mountains and stayed there three days, until the men who were chasing them had returned to the city after searching everywhere along the road without success. 23 Then the two spies came down from the mountains and crossed the river and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them.
24 “The Lord will certainly give us the entire land,” they said, “for all the people over there are scared to death of us.”
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