The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:(A) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

But the woman had taken the two men(B) and hidden them.(C) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,(D) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”(E) (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax(F) she had laid out on the roof.)(G) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(H) and as soon as the pursuers(I) had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(J) and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(K) 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(L) the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,(M) and what you did to Sihon and Og,(N) the two kings of the Amorites(O) east of the Jordan,(P) whom you completely destroyed.[b](Q) 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear(R) and everyone’s courage failed(S) because of you,(T) for the Lord your God(U) is God in heaven above and on the earth(V) below.

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

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

15 So she let them down by a rope(AC) through the window,(AD) for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath(A) you made us swear will not be binding on us

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

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord(A) in the window.(B)

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