¹⁹ If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;^(A) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head^(B) 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.^(C)”

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

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord^(D) in the window.^(E)

²² When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,^(F) until the pursuers^(G) 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;^(H) all the people are melting in fear^(I) because of us.”

Crossing the Jordan

3 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim^(A) and went to the Jordan,^(B) where they camped before crossing over. ² After three days^(C) the officers^(D) went throughout the camp,^{(E) 3} giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant^(F) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical^(G) priests^(H) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. ⁴ Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits^[a](I) between you and the ark; do not go near it.”