Joshua 2

And Joshua, the son of Nun, secretly sent from Shittim two men, spies, saying, “Go, see the land and Jericho.” And they went and entered the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name {was} Rahab, and they stayed there.

And it was said to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel to search out the land.”

Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men, the ones coming to you, who came to your house, because they have come to search out all of the land.” \*

But the woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. And she said, “Indeed, the men came to me, but I did not know from where they {were}.

And the gate was to shut at darkness, and the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue quickly after them, for you may overtake them.” \*

(Now she had brought them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax arranged by her on the roof.)

So the men pursued after them {on} the road of the Jordan to the fords. And they shut the gate after when the pursuers had gone out after them. \*

Now before they lay down, she went up to them on the roof.

And she said to the men, “I know that God has given the land to you and that the dread of you has fallen on us and that all the dwellers of the land have melted from your faces. \*

For we have heard that God dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds from your faces in your going out from Egypt, and what you did to two of the kings of the Amorite who {were} on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, that you devoted them.

And we have heard, and our heart has melted, and the spirit in a man no longer stands from your faces. For God your God, he {is} God in the heavens above and on the earth below. \*

And now, please swear to me by God, since I am doing kindness with you, that you yourselves will also do kindness with the house of my father, and give to me a sign of truth,

that you will keep alive my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who {are} to them and you will deliver our lives from death.” \*

And the men said to her, “Our lives in place of yours to die! If you do not tell this matter of ours, then it will happen, in God’s giving the land to us, that we will do kindness and faithfulness with you.” \*

Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window (for her house {was} in the side of the wall, so she was dwelling in the wall).

And she said to them, “Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers meet you. And hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. And afterwards you may go your way.”

And the men said to her, “We {will be} innocent from this oath of yours that you have made us swear: \*

Behold us, coming into the land! You shall tie this cord of thread of scarlet in the window through which you lower us down, and your father and your mother and your brothers and all of the house of your father, you shall gather to you at the house.

And it will be, anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood {will be} on his head and we {will be} innocent. But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood {will be} on our head if a hand shall be on him. \*

But if you tell this matter of ours, then we will be innocent from your oath that you have made us swear.”

And she said, “According to your words, so {be} it.” And she sent them away, and they went. And she tied the cord of scarlet in the window. \*

And they went and came to the hill country, and they stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. And the pursuers searched along all of the road, but they did not find them.

And the two men returned and descended from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and they recounted to him all of the things having found them.

And they said to Joshua, “Truly God has given all of the land into our hand, for indeed, all of the dwellers of the land are melting from our faces.” \*