1 T hen Joshua the son of Nun sent two men from Shittim to go in secret to learn about the land. He said to them, “Go and spy out the land, and Jericho.” So they went and came to the house of Rahab, a woman who sold the use of her body, and they stayed there.

And Joshua the son of Nun sent from Shittim two spies secretly, saying, Go, see the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and they lay down there.

2 T hen the king of Jericho was told, “See, men of Israel have come here to spy out the land.”

And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men have come hither to-night from the children of Israel to search out the land.

3 S o the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you and have gone into your house. For they have come to spy out all the land.”

And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have come into thy house: for they have come to search out all the land.

4 B ut the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me. But I did not know where they were from.

And the woman had taken and concealed the two men; and she said, Yes, the men did come unto me, but I knew not whence they were;

5 W hen it was time for the gate to be shut after dark, the men went out. I do not know where they went. Be quick to go after them, for you will catch them.”

and it came to pass when the gate had to be closed, at dark, that the men went out: I know not whither the men have gone. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

6 B ut she had brought them up to the roof and had hidden them under the grain she had put up there.

But she had taken them up to the roof, and secreted them under the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the roof.

7 T he men went after them on the road to the Jordan as far as the river crossing. As soon as those going after them had gone out, they shut the gate.

And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan, to the fords; and when they who pursued after them had gone out, they closed the gate.

8 B efore they lay down, she came up to them on the roof.

And before they had lain down, she went up to them upon the roof;

9 A nd she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land. The fear of you has come upon us. All the people living in the land have become weak with fear because of you.

and said to the men, I know that Jehovah has given you the land, and that the dread of you has fallen on 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 for you when you came out of Egypt. We have heard how you destroyed the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan.

For we have heard that Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red sea before you when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11 W hen we heard it, our hearts became weak. No man had strength of heart any more because of you. For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

We heard, and our heart melted, and there remained no more spirit in any man because of you; for Jehovah your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

12 N ow I have shown you kindness. So I beg of you, promise me by the Lord that you will show kindness to those of my father’s house. Give me something to show that you will be faithful.

And now, I pray you, swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye will also deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a certain sign,

13 D o not kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them. Save us from death.”

that ye will let my father live, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that belong to them, and deliver our souls from death.

14 S o the men said to her, “Our life for yours! If you do not tell anyone what we are doing, we will be faithful and show you kindness when the Lord gives us the land.”

And the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

15 T hen she let them down by a rope through the window. She lived in her house that was built on top of the city wall.

And she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the city-wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

16 S he said to them, “Go to the hill country, or those who are looking for you might find you. For three days hide yourselves there until those who are looking for you return. Then you may go on your way.”

And she said to them, Go to the mountain, that the pursuers may not meet with you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards go your way.

17 T he men said to her, “We will be free from this promise you have made us swear

And the men said to her, We will be quit of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

18 u nless, when we come into the land, you tie this red rope in the window you let us down through. Bring your father and mother, your brothers and all those of your father’s house into your house.

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind in the window this line of scarlet thread by which thou hast let us down; and thou shalt gather to thee in the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household;

19 I f anyone goes out through the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head. We will not be guilty for his death. But if a hand is laid upon anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head.

and it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street,—his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be innocent; but every one who shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be upon our head, if any hand be upon him.

20 A nd we will be free from the promise you made us swear if you tell anyone what we are doing.”

And if thou make known this our business, we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

21 S he said, “Let it be as you have said.” Then she sent them away, and tied the red rope in the window.

And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.

22 T hey left and came to the hill country and stayed there for three days until those who were looking for them returned. The men had looked for them all along the road, but had not found them.

And they went, and came to the mountain, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them all the way, and found them not.

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

And the two men returned and came down from the mountain, and went over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him everything that had happened to them.

24 T hey said to Joshua, “For sure the Lord has given all the land into our hands. All the people living in the land have become weak with fear because of us.”

And they said to Joshua, Of a surety Jehovah has given the whole land into our hands, and even all the inhabitants of the land faint because of us.