Joshua 2
2
Spies Sent to Jericho
1Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies#Gn 42:9; Nm 13:2,16–17; Jos 7:2; Jdg 18:2 from the Acacia Grove,#2:1 Or from Shittim saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab,#Heb 11:31; Jms 2:25 and stayed there.
2The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.” 3Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house,#Gn 19:5 for they came to investigate the entire land.”
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.#2Sm 17:19 So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!” 6But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them#Jms 2:25 among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof. 7The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the city gate was shut.
The Promise to Rahab
8Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof 9and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land#Nm 20:24; Jos 9:24 and that the terror of you has fallen on us,#Ex 15:16; 23:27; Ezr 3:3; Jb 9:34; 13:21; Is 33:18; Jr 50:38 and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.#2:9 Or land panics at your approach#Ex 15:15; Jos 2:24; 1Sm 14:16 10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt,#Ex 14:21–30 and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed#Nm 21:23–30,33–35; Dt 2:32–34; 3:1–3; Jos 6:21 across the Jordan. 11When we heard this, we lost heart,#Dt 1:28; 20:8; Jos 5:1; 7:5; 2Sm 17:10; Is 13:7; 19:1; Ezk 21:7; Nah 2:10 and everyone’s courage failed#2:11 Lit and spirit no longer remained in anyone because of you,#Jos 5:1; 7:5; Ps 22:14; Is 13:7; 19:1 for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.#Dt 4:39; 1Kg 8:23 12Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s family, because I showed kindness to you.#Gn 21:23; Jdg 1:24; 2Sm 2:5; 10:2 Give me a sure sign#2:12 Or a sign of truth 13that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.”
14The men answered her, “We will give our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city. 16“Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,” she said to them. “Hide there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.”
17The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his death will be his own fault,#Mt 27:25 and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault. 20And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21“Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them. 23Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them. 24They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”#2:24 Or land also panics at our approach
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Joshua 2
2
1And 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. 2And 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. 3And 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. 4And 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; 5and 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. 6But she had taken them up to the roof, and secreted them under the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the roof. 7And 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.
8And before they had lain down, she went up to them upon the roof; 9and 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. 10For 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. 11We heard of it, and our heart melted, and there remained no more spirit in any man because of you; for Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim he is God#GodHebrew: Elohim in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12And 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, 13that 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. 14And 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. 15And she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the city-wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16And 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. 17And the men said to her, We will be quit of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18Behold, 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; 19and 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. 20And if thou make known this our business, we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 21And 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.
22And 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. 23And 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. 24And 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.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.