1 T hen Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.

Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as scouts, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho. And they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there.

2 I t was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

It was told the king of Jericho, Behold, there came men in here tonight of the Israelites to search out the country.

3 A nd 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 search out all the land.”

And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out the land.

4 B ut the 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.

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 from where they had come.

5 I t 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.”

And at gate closing time, after dark, the men went out. Where they went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.

6 B ut 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.

But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax which she had laid in order there.

7 S o the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

So the men pursued them to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone, the city’s gate was shut.

8 N ow before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof,

Before the two men had lain down, Rahab came up to them on the roof,

9 a nd said to the men, “ I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you.

And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 F or we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 W hen we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

When we heard it, our hearts melted, neither did spirit or courage remain any more in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

12 N ow therefore, 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 pledge of truth,

Now then, I pray you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a sure sign,

13 a nd spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”

And save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all they have, and deliver us from death.

14 S o the men said to her, “Our life 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 deal kindly and faithfully with you.” The Promise to Rahab

And the men said to her, Our lives for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.

15 T hen 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.

Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the wall so that she dwelt in the wall.

16 S he said to them, “ Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.”

And she said to them, Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers have returned; and afterward you may go your way.

17 T he men said to her, “ We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,

The men said to her, We will be blameless of this oath you have made us swear.

18 u nless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.

Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall bring your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household into your house.

19 I t shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

And if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.

20 B ut if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.”

But if you tell this business of ours, we shall be guiltless of your oath which you made us swear.

21 S he 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.

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

22 T hey departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them.

They left and went to the mountain and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned, who had searched all along the way without finding them.

23 T hen the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them.

So the two men descended from the mountain, passed over, and came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them.

24 T hey said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.”

They said to Joshua, Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; for all the inhabitants of the country are faint because of us.