1 J oshua the son of Nun secretly sent two men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, including Jericho.” They went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

Then 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.

2 T he king of Jericho was told, “Behold, men of the children of Israel came in here tonight to spy out the land.”

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

3 J ericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all 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 search out all the land.”

4 T he woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I didn’t know where they came from.

But 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.

5 A bout the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”

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.”

6 B ut she had brought them up to the roof, and hidden them under 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 in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

7 T he men pursued them along the way to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

So 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.

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

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

9 S he said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

and 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.

10 F or we have heard how Yahweh 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 to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

For 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.

11 A s soon as we had heard it, our hearts melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit in any man, because of you: for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.

When 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.

12 N ow therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;

Now 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,

13 a nd that you will save alive my father, my mother, my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.”

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

14 T he men said to her, “Our life for yours, if you don’t talk about this business of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

So 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

15 T hen she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, and she lived on the wall.

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 S he said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers find you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.”

She 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.”

17 T he men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear.

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

18 B ehold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.

unless, 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.

19 I t shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him.

It 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.

20 B ut if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”

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

21 S he said, “Let it be as you have said.” She sent them away, and they departed. Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.

She 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 T hey went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but didn’t find them.

They 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.

23 T hen the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun. They told him all that had happened to them.

Then 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.

24 T hey said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has delivered all the land into our hands. Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land melt away before us.”

They 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.”