Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.

Rahab Shelters Spies

2 Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as scouts secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially ^[a]Jericho [the walled city].” So they went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and lodged there. ² Now the king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy and search out the land.” ³ So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, because they have come [as spies] to search out all the land.” ⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; so she said, “Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ When it was time to close the [city] gate at dark, the men left; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for [if you do] you will overtake them.” ⁶ But [in fact] she had brought the scouts up to the roof and had hidden them under the ^[b]stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof [to dry]. ⁷ So the [king’s] men pursued them on the road to the Jordan as far as the ^[c]fords [east of Jericho]; as soon as the pursuers had gone out after them, the gate [of the city] was shut.

⁸ Now before the two men lay down [to sleep], Rahab came up to them on the roof, ⁹ and she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror and dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted [in despair] because of you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the ^[d]Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan [on the east], to Sihon and Og, whom you ^[e]utterly destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard it, our hearts melted [in despair], and a [fighting] spirit no longer remained in any man because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.^{(A) 12} And now, please swear [an oath] to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s household (family), and give me a pledge of truth and faithfulness, ¹³ and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, along with everyone who belongs to them, and let us all live.” ¹⁴ So the men said to her, “Our lives for yours if you do not tell [anyone about] this business of ours; then when the Lord gives us the land we will show you kindness and faithfulness [and keep our agreement with you].”

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested [that is, as the testing of his faith was still in progress], ^[a]offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises [of God] was ready to sacrifice his only son [of promise];^{(A) 18} to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your descendants shall be called.”^{(B) 19} For he considered [it reasonable to believe] that God was able to raise Isaac even from among the dead. [Indeed, in the sense that he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God] Abraham did receive him back [from the dead] figuratively speaking. ²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau [believing what God revealed to him], even regarding things to come.^{(C) 21} By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.^{(D) 22} By faith Joseph, when he was dying, referred to [the promise of God for] the exodus of the sons of Israel [from Egypt], and gave instructions concerning [the burial of] his bones [in the land of the promise].^(E)