Rahab Hides the Spies(A)

Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men (B)from [a]Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

So they went, and (C)came to the house of a harlot named (D)Rahab, and [b]lodged there. And (E)it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

(F)Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But (G)she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: (H)“I know that the Lord has given you the land, that (I)the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land (J)are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord (K)dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and (L)what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you (M)utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we (N)heard these things, (O)our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for (P)the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, (Q)swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to (R)my father’s house, and (S)give me [c]a true token, 13 and (T)spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that (U)we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

15 Then she (V)let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

17 So the men said to her: “We will be (W)blameless[d] of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 (X)unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, (Y)and unless you [e]bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be [f]guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, (Z)his [g]blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be [h]free from your oath which you made us swear.”

21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly (AA)the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:1 Heb. Shittim
  2. Joshua 2:1 Lit. lay down
  3. Joshua 2:12 a pledge of truth
  4. Joshua 2:17 free from obligation to this oath
  5. Joshua 2:18 Lit. gather
  6. Joshua 2:19 free from obligation
  7. Joshua 2:19 guilt of bloodshed
  8. Joshua 2:20 free from obligation to

And Joshua son of Nun sendeth from Shittim, two men, spies, silently, saying, `Go, see the land -- and Jericho;' and they go and come into the house of a woman, a harlot, and her name [is] Rahab, and they lie down there.

And it is told to the king of Jericho, saying, `Lo, men have come in hither to-night, from the sons of Israel, to search the land.

And the king of Jericho sendeth unto Rahab, saying, `Bring out the men who are coming in unto thee, who have come into thy house, for to search the whole of the land they have come in.

And the woman taketh the two men, and hideth them, and saith thus: `The men came in unto me, and I have not known whence they [are];

and it cometh to pass -- the gate is to [be] shut -- in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known whither the men have gone; pursue ye, hasten after them, for ye overtake them;'

and she hath caused them to go up on the roof, and hideth them with the flax wood, which is arranged for her on the roof.

And the men have pursued after them the way of the Jordan, by the fords, and the gate they have shut afterwards, when the pursuers have gone out after them.

And -- before they lie down -- she hath gone up unto them on the roof,

and she saith unto the men, `I have known that Jehovah hath given to you the land, and that your terror hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted at your presence.

10 `For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red Sea at your presence, in your going out of Egypt, and that which ye have done to the two kings of the Amorite who [are] beyond the Jordan; to Sihon and to Og whom ye devoted.

11 And we hear, and melt doth our heart, and there hath not stood any more spirit in [any] man, from your presence, for Jehovah your God, He [is] God in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath.

12 `And now, swear ye, I pray you, to me by Jehovah -- because I have done with you kindness -- that ye have done, even ye, kindness with the house of my father, and have given to me a true token,

13 and have kept alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and have delivered our souls from death.'

14 And the men say to her, `Our soul for yours -- to die; if ye declare not this our matter, then it hath been, in Jehovah's giving to us this land, that we have done with thee kindness and truth.'

15 And she causeth them to go down by a rope through the window, for her house [is] in the side of the wall, and in the wall she [is] dwelling;

16 and she saith to them, `To the mountain go, lest the pursuers come upon you; and ye have been hidden there three days till the turning back of the pursuers, and afterwards ye go on your way.'

17 And the men say unto her, `We are acquitted of this thine oath which thou hast caused us to swear:

18 lo, we are coming into the land, this line of scarlet thread thou dost bind to the window by which thou hast caused us to go down, and thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all the house of thy father thou dost gather unto thee, to the house;

19 and it hath been, any one who goeth out from the doors of thy house without, his blood [is] on his head, and we are innocent; and any one who is with thee in the house, his blood [is] on our head, if a hand is on him;

20 and if thou declare this our matter, then we have been acquitted from thine oath which thou hast caused us to swear.'

21 And she saith, `According unto your words, so it [is];' and she sendeth them away, and they go; and she bindeth the scarlet line to the window.

22 And they go, and come in to the mountain, and abide there three days until the pursuers have turned back; and the pursuers seek in all the way, and have not found.

23 And the two men turn back, and come down from the hill, and pass over, and come in unto Joshua son of Nun, and recount to him all that hath come upon them;

24 and they say unto Joshua, `Surely Jehovah hath given into our hand all the land; and also, all the inhabitants of the land have melted at our presence.'

Rahab Shelters Spies

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from (A)Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of (B)a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there. But it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out all the land.” But the (C)woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. It came about, when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But (D)she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan, to the crossing places; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

Now before [a]the spies lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “(E)I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the (F)terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. 10 (G)For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the [b]Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and (H)what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you [c]utterly destroyed. 11 When we heard these reports, (I)our hearts melted and no [d]courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the (J)Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a (K)pledge of [e]truth, 13 and [f]spare my father and my mother, and my brothers and my sisters, and all who belong to them, and save our [g]lives from death.” 14 So the men said to her, “Our [h]life [i]for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will (L)deal kindly and [j]faithfully with you.”

The Promise to Rahab

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “(M)Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not encounter you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.” 17 And the men said to her, “(N)We shall be exempt from this oath [k]to you which you have made us swear, 18 [l]unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and (O)gather into your house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 And it shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house outside will have [m]his blood on his own head, and we will be innocent; but anyone who is with you in the house, (P)his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be exempt from the oath which you have made us swear.” 21 She then said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 So they departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days, until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had searched for them [n]all along the road, but had not found them. 23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country, and they crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun. Then they reported to him all that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “The Lord has indeed handed over to us all the land; furthermore, (Q)all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of us.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:8 Lit they lay
  2. Joshua 2:10 Lit Sea of Reeds
  3. Joshua 2:10 Or put under the ban
  4. Joshua 2:11 Lit spirit arose
  5. Joshua 2:12 Or faithfulness
  6. Joshua 2:13 Lit let live
  7. Joshua 2:13 Lit souls
  8. Joshua 2:14 Lit soul
  9. Joshua 2:14 Lit instead of you to die
  10. Joshua 2:14 Or truly
  11. Joshua 2:17 Lit of yours
  12. Joshua 2:18 Lit behold
  13. Joshua 2:19 I.e., responsibility for his death
  14. Joshua 2:22 Lit through all the road