Joshua 2
Good News Translation
Joshua Sends Spies into Jericho
2 (A)Then Joshua sent two spies from the camp at Acacia with orders to go and secretly explore the land of Canaan, especially the city of Jericho. When they came to the city, they went to spend the night in the house of a prostitute named Rahab. 2 The king of Jericho heard that some Israelites had come that night to spy out the country, 3 so he sent word to Rahab: “The men in your house have come to spy out the whole country! Bring them out!”
4-6 “Some men did come to my house,” she answered, “but I don't know where they were from. They left at sundown before the city gate was closed. I didn't find out where they were going, but if you start after them quickly, you can catch them.” (Now Rahab had taken the two spies up on the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax that she had put there.) 7 The king's men left the city, and then the gate was shut. They went looking for the Israelite spies as far as the place where the road crosses the Jordan.
8 Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. 10 (B)We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 11 We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you. The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. 12 Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. 13 Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don't let us be killed!”
14 The men said to her, “May God take our lives if we don't do as we say![a] If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well.”
15 Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. 16 “Go into the hill country,” she said, “or the king's men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way.”
17 The men said to her, “We will keep the promise that you have made us give. 18 This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house. 19 If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. 20 However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you.” 21 She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window.
22 The spies went into the hills and hid. The king's men looked for them all over the countryside for three days, but they did not find them, so they returned to Jericho. 23 Then the two spies came down from the hills, crossed the river, and went back to Joshua. They told him everything that had happened, 24 and then said, “We are sure that the Lord has given us the whole country. All the people there are terrified of us.”
Footnotes
- Joshua 2:14 May God … say; or We will protect you if you protect us.
Joshua 2
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
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 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,(C) for they came to investigate the entire land.’
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.(D) So she said, ‘Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 At nightfall, when the city 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(E) 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 city 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(F) and that the terror of you has fallen on us,(G) and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.[b](H) 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt,(I) and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed(J) across the Jordan. 11 When we heard this, we lost heart,(K) and everyone’s courage failed[c] because of you,(L) for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.(M) 12 Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s family, because I showed kindness to you.(N) Give me a sure sign[d] 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 there for three days until they return; afterwards, 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 death will be his own fault,(O) and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault. 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 for 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.’[e]
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