Joshua 2
2
Chapter 2
Rahab helps two men of Israel
1Then Joshua sent two men to go out from Shittim. He sent them in secret to see what the land was like. He told them, ‘Go! Look at all the land. Look very carefully at Jericho city.’
When they came to Jericho city, they arrived at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab. They stayed there. #2:1 Rahab probably had rooms in her home where visitors could sleep.
2Some people told the king of Jericho, ‘Look! Some Israelite men have come here tonight to see what our land is like.’ 3So the king of Jericho sent a message to Rahab. He said, ‘Bring out the men who are staying in your house. They have come secretly to see what all our land is like!’
4But Rahab had hidden the two men. She replied, ‘Yes, some men did come to me. I did not know where they had come from. 5When it was nearly time to close the gate of the city for the night, they left. I do not know where they went. If you chase after them quickly, you may catch them.’ 6But she had taken the men up to the roof. She had hidden them under some straw that she had put there.
7So the king's officers went out of the city to try to find the two Israelite men. They went along the road to the Jordan River, to the place where the road crosses the river. As soon as they had left, people shut the city gate.
8Rahab went up to the roof of her house. She spoke to the men as they prepared to sleep. 9She said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given this land to you. Everyone here is afraid of you Israelites. Everyone who lives in this land is very frightened. 10We heard how the Lord caused the water of the Red Sea to become dry. In that way he brought you out of Egypt. We heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites. We heard how you destroyed them completely on the east side of the Jordan River. 11When we heard what you had done, we were very frightened. We know that we are not strong enough to fight against you because the Lord, your God, is God. He rules everything in heaven and on earth.
12Now, please use the Lord's name to make a strong promise. I have been kind to you. So promise me that you will be kind to my family. Show me that you will certainly do what you have promised. 13When you attack this city, do not kill my family. Save the lives of my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.’
14The men replied, ‘We promise to do that. If anyone kills you or your family, may we die too! Do not tell anyone about us. When the Lord gives us this land, we will be kind to you. We will save your lives.’
15So Rahab put a rope out through the window of her house. (The house that she lived in was part of the city wall.) The men climbed down the rope. 16Rahab told them, ‘Go to the hills. The men who are chasing you will not find you there. Hide there for three days until they return to this city. Then you can go back to your people.’
17The men said to her, ‘If you do what we say, we will do what we have promised. 18We will soon attack this land. So tie this red string in the window that we came through. #2:18 The men told Rahab to tie a red string in her window. This was the sign that the Israelites would not kill her or her family. Bring your father, your mother, your brothers and sisters and all your family into your house. 19If any of them leaves your house, they may die. If that happens, we will not be guilty. We will only be guilty if our soldiers hurt anyone who is in your house. 20But if you tell anyone about us, we do not have to do what we have promised to you.’
21Rahab said, ‘I agree with what you have said.’ She sent the men away. When they had gone, she tied the red string in her window.
22The two Israelite men went into the hills and they hid there. The king's officers looked along the road for them for three days. They did not find them, so they returned to Jericho. 23Then the two men came down from the hills and they crossed the Jordan River. They went back to Joshua. They told him everything that had happened. 24They said to him, ‘We are sure that the Lord has given us the whole land. All the people there are very frightened of us.’
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Joshua 2: EASY
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