Josh 2
1
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly, saying, Go,
view the land, and Jericho. And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose
name was Rahab, and lay there.
2
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here to-night
of the children of Israel to search out the land.
3
And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to
you, that are entered into your house; for they are come to search out all the land.
4
And the woman took the two men, and hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came to me,
but I knew not whence they were:
5
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark,
that the men went out; where the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for
you will overtake them.
6
But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which
she had laid in order upon the roof.
7
And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan to the fords: and as soon as
they that pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8
And before they were laid down, she came up to them upon the roof;
9
and she said to the men, I know that YHWH has given you the land, and that the fear
of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before
you.
10
For we have heard how YHWH 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, that were beyond
the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11
And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any
more spirit in any man, because of you: for YHWH your God, he is God in heaven above,
and on earth beneath.
12
Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by YHWH, since I have dealt kindly with you,
that you also will deal kindly with my father`s house, and give me a true token;
13
and that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters,
and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from death.
14
And the men said to her, Our life for yours, if you utter not this our business; and
it shall be, when YHWH gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with
you.
15
Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the side
of the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16
And she said to them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light upon you; and
hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may
you go your way.
17
And the men said to her, We will be guiltless of this your oath which you have made
us to swear.
18
Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in
the window which you did let us down by: and you shall gather to you into the house
your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father`s household.
19
And it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street,
his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless: and whoever shall be
with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
20
But if you utter this our business, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which
you have made us to swear.
21
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
And they went, and came to the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers
were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them
not.
23
Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came
to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them.
24
And they said to Joshua, Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land; and
moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us.