Joshua 2
2
Rahab
1Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies: “Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho.” They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there.
2The king of Jericho was told, “We’ve just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They’re from the People of Israel.”
3The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They’re spies; they’ve come to spy out the whole country.”
4-7The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they’d come from. At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them—you can still catch them!” (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.) So the men gave chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.
8-11Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof and said, “I know that God has given you the land. We’re all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless. We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed. We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below.
12-13“Now promise me by God. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters—everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!”
14“Our lives for yours!” said the men. “But don’t tell anyone our business. When God turns this land over to us, we’ll do right by you in loyal mercy.”
15-16She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside. She told them, “Run for the hills so your pursuers won’t find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way.”
17-20The men told her, “In order to keep this oath you made us swear, here is what you must do: Hang this red rope out the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house—father, mother, brothers, and sisters. Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street and is killed, it’s his own fault—we aren’t responsible. But for everyone within the house we take full responsibility. If anyone lays a hand on one of them, it’s our fault. But if you tell anyone of our business here, the oath you made us swear is canceled—we’re no longer responsible.”
21She said, “If that’s what you say, that’s the way it is,” and sent them off. They left and she hung the red rope out the window.
22They headed for the hills and stayed there for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had looked high and low but found nothing.
23-24The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences. They told Joshua, “Yes! God has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
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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