2 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, even Jericho.” And they went and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

² And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country.”

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

⁴ And the woman took the two men and hid them, and said thus, “There came men unto me, but I knew not from whence they came.

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

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.

⁷ And the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan unto the fords; and as soon as those who pursued after them had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸ And before they lay down, she came up unto them upon the roof,

⁹ and she said unto the men, “I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

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 unto the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

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 on earth beneath.

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

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.”

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.”

¹⁴ “For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods.

¹⁵ And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his several ability, and straightway tookhis journey.

¹⁶ Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents.

¹⁷ And likewise he that had received two, he also gained another two.

¹⁸ But he that had received one went and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

¹⁹ After a long time the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them.

²⁰ And so he that had received five talents came and brought the other five talents, saying, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.’

²¹ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

²² “He also that had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.’

²³ His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’

²⁴ “Then he that had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed.

²⁵ And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast what is thine.’

²⁶ His lord answered and said unto him, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed.

²⁷ Thou ought therefore to have placed my money with the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest.

²⁸ Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten talents.

²⁹ For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath.

³⁰ And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’