Joshua 2
Common English Bible
Joshua sends spies
2 Joshua, Nun’s son, secretly sent two men as spies from Shittim. He said, “Go. Look over the land, especially Jericho.” They set out and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab. They bedded down there.
2 Someone told the king of Jericho, “Men from the Israelites have come here tonight to spy on the land.”
3 So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Send out the men who came to you, the ones who came to your house, because they have come to spy on the entire land.”
Rahab takes action
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. Then she said, “Of course the men came to me. But I didn’t know where they were from. 5 The men left when it was time to close the gate at dark, but I don’t know where the men went. Hurry! Chase after them! You might catch up with them.” 6 But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the flax stalks that she had laid out on the roof. 7 The men from Jericho[a] chased after them in the direction of the Jordan up to the fords. As soon as those chasing them went out, the gate was shut behind them.
Rahab sets terms
8 Before the spies bedded down, Rahab went up to them on the roof. 9 She said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land. Terror over you has overwhelmed us. The entire population of the land has melted down in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Reed Sea[b] in front of you when you left Egypt. We have also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan. You utterly wiped them out. 11 We heard this and our hearts turned to water. Because of you, people can no longer work up their courage. This is because the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now, I have been loyal to you. So pledge to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal loyally with my family. Give me a sign of good faith. 13 Spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, and sisters, along with everything they own. Rescue us from death.”
14 The men said to her, “We swear by our own lives to secure yours. If you don’t reveal our mission, we will deal loyally and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land.”
The spies escape
15 So she lowered the spies on a rope through the window. Her house was on the outer side of the city wall, and she lived inside the wall. 16 Then she said to them, “Go toward the highlands so that those chasing you don’t run into you. Hide there for three days until those chasing you return. Then you may go on your way.”
17 The men said to her, “We won’t be responsible for this pledge you made us swear 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this red woven cord in the window through which you lowered us. Gather your father, your mother, your brothers, and your whole family into the house with you. 19 Those who go outside the doors of your house into the street will have only themselves to blame for their own deaths. We won’t be responsible. If anyone lays a hand on those who are with you in the house, we will take the blame for their death. 20 But if you reveal our mission, we won’t be responsible for this pledge you made us swear.”
21 She said, “These things will happen just like you said.” She sent them away and they went off. Then she tied the red cord in the window.
Mission accomplished
22 The spies went out and entered the highlands. They stayed there for three days until those chasing them came back. Those chasing them had searched all along the road but never found them. 23 Then the two men came back down from the highlands. They crossed the Jordan and came to Joshua, Nun’s son. They told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has definitely given the entire land into our power. In addition, all of the land’s population has melted down in fear because of us.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 2:7 Heb lacks from Jericho.
- Joshua 2:10 Or Red Sea
Joshua 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 Joshua sendeth men to spy Jericho, whom Rahab hideth. 11 She confesseth the God of Israel. 12 She requireth a sign for her deliverance. 21 The spies return to Joshua with comfortable tidings.
1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent out of [a]Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, and also Jericho, and they went, and (A)came into an [b]harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 Then report was made to the King of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men hither tonight, of the children of Israel, to spy out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab saying, [c]Bring forth the men that are come to thee, and which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.
4 (But the woman had taken the two men, and hid them.) Therefore said she thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were.
5 And when they shut the gate in the dark, the men went out, whither the men went, I wot not: follow ye after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them.
6 (But she had brought them up to the [d]roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had spread abroad upon the roof.)
7 And certain men pursued after them, the way to Jordan, unto the fords, and as soon as they which pursued after them, were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 ¶ And before they were asleep, she came up unto them upon the roof,
9 And said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that the [e]fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 For we have heard how the Lord (B)dried up the water of the red Sea (C)before you when ye came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, unto (D)Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed:
11 And when we heard it, our hearts [f]did faint, and there remained no more [g]courage in any because of you: for [h]the Lord your God, he is the God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, that as I have showed you mercy, ye will also show mercy 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 that ye will deliver our [i]souls from death.
14 And the men answered her, [j]Our life for you to die, if ye utter not this our business: and when the Lord hath given us the land, we will deal mercifully and truly with thee.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 And she said unto them, Go you into the [k]mountain, lest the pursuers meet with you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: then afterward may ye go your way.
17 And the men said unto her, [l]We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this cord of red thread in the window, whereby thou lettest us down, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household home to thee.
19 And whosoever then doth go out at the doors of thine house into the street, [m]his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: but whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand touch him:
20 And if thou utter this our [n]matter, we will be quit of thine oath, which thou hast made us swear.
21 And she answered, According unto your words, so be it: then she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the [o]red cord in the window.
22 ¶ And they departed, and came into the mountain, and there abode three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed [p]over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that came unto them.
24 Also they said unto Joshua, Surely the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land: for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us.
Footnotes
- Joshua 2:1 Which place was in the plain of Moab near unto Jordan.
- Joshua 2:1 Or, taverner’s house, or hostess.
- Joshua 2:3 Though the wicked see the hand of God upon them, yet they repent not, but seek how they may by their power and policy resist his working.
- Joshua 2:6 Meaning, upon the house: for then their houses were flat above, so that they might do their business thereupon.
- Joshua 2:9 For so God promised, Deut. 28:7; Josh. 5:1.
- Joshua 2:11 Or, melted.
- Joshua 2:11 Or, spirit.
- Joshua 2:11 Herein appeareth the great mercy of God, that in this common destruction he would draw a most miserable sinner to repent, and confess his Name.
- Joshua 2:13 Or, lives.
- Joshua 2:14 We warrant you on pain of our lives.
- Joshua 2:16 Which was near unto the city.
- Joshua 2:17 We shall be discharged of our oath if thou dost perform this condition that followeth: for so shalt thou and thine be delivered.
- Joshua 2:19 He shall be guilty of his own death.
- Joshua 2:20 So that others should think to escape by the same means.
- Joshua 2:21 Or, scarlet colored.
- Joshua 2:23 To wit, the river Jordan.
Joshua 2
American Standard Version
2 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go, view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land. 3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, that are entered into thy house; for they are come to search out all the land. 4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came unto me, but I knew not whence they were: 5 and it came to pass about the time of the 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 will overtake them. 6 But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7 And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 and she said unto the men, I know that Jehovah hath given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and to Og, whom ye [a]utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Jehovah your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye also will deal kindly with 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 will deliver our lives from death. 14 And the men said unto her, Our life [b]for yours, if ye utter not this our business; and it shall be, when Jehovah giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the side of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17 And the men said unto her, We will be guiltless of this thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household. 19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. 20 But if thou utter this our business, then we shall be guiltless of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. 23 Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly Jehovah hath delivered into our hands all the land; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.
Footnotes
- Joshua 2:10 Hebrew devoted.
- Joshua 2:14 Hebrew instead of you to die.
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