By David.

Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho

2 From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, “Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho.” So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.

² The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, “Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land.”

⁴ But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. ⁵ When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you’ll catch up with them.” ⁶ (She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)

⁷ The king’s men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king’s men had left, the gate was closed.

⁸ Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof. ⁹ She said to them, “I know the Lord will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you. ¹⁰ We’ve heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you when you left Egypt. We’ve also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, who ruled east of the Jordan River. We’ve heard how you destroyed them for the Lord. ¹¹ When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth. ¹² Please swear by the Lord that you’ll be as kind to my father’s family as I’ve been to you. Also give me some proof ¹³ that you’ll protect my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and their households, and that you’ll save us from death.”

¹⁴ The men promised her, “We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don’t tell anyone what we’re doing here, we’ll treat you kindly and honestly when the Lord gives us this land.”

God’s Continuing Love for Jewish People

11 So I ask, “Has God rejected his people Israel?” That’s unthinkable! Consider this. I’m an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people whom he knew long ago. Don’t you know what Elijah says in the Scripture passage when he complains to God about Israel? He says, ³ “Lord, they’ve killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.” ⁴ But what was God’s reply? God said, “I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal.” ⁵ So, as there were then, there are now a few left that God has chosen by his kindness.^{[a] 6} If they were chosen by God’s kindness, they weren’t chosen because of anything they did. Otherwise, God’s kindness wouldn’t be kindness.

⁷ So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed, ⁸ as Scripture says,

⁹ And David says,

¹¹ So I ask, “Has Israel stumbled so badly that it can’t get up again?” That’s unthinkable! By Israel’s failure, salvation has come to people who are not Jewish to make the Jewish people jealous. ¹² The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer.

A Story about Ten Bridesmaids

25 “When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. ⁴ The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. ⁵ Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.

⁸ “The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’

¹⁰ “While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

¹² “But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

¹³ “So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.