Joshua, 2

1. From Shittim, Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men to reconnoitre. He said, 'Go and explore the country and Jericho.' They left; they went into the house of a prostitute called Rahab, to spend the night there.

1. And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.

2. The king of Jericho was told, 'Some men have come here tonight from the Israelites, to reconnoitre the country.'

2. And it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land."

3. The king of Jericho then sent a message to Rahab, 'Send out the men who came to you and are lodging in your house, for they have come to reconnoitre the whole country.'

3. Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land."

4. But the woman took the two men and hid them. 'It is true,' she said, 'the men did come to me, but I did not know where they came from.

4. But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from;

5. When the city gate was about to be closed at nightfall, the men went out and I cannot say where they have gone. Follow them quickly and you will overtake them.'

5. and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

6. She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax which she had laid out there.

6. But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

7. The men hurried in pursuit of them towards the Jordan, as far as the fords, and the gate was shut once the pursuers had gone through.

7. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8. The two men had not yet settled down for the night when Rahab came up to them on the roof.

8. Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof,

9. She said to them, 'I know that Yahweh has given you this country, that we are afraid of you and that everyone living in this country has been seized with terror at your approach;

9. and said to the men, "I know that the LORD 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.

10. for we have heard how Yahweh dried up the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under the curse of destruction.

10. 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 that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11. When we heard this, our hearts failed us, and now no one has any courage left to resist you, since Yahweh your God is God both in heaven above and on earth beneath.

11. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

12. So, swear to me now by Yahweh, since I have been kind to you,

12. Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign,

13. that you in your turn will be kind to my father's family; and give me a sure sign of this: that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all who belong to them, and will preserve us from death.'

13. and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."

14. The men replied, 'We pledge you our lives, provided that you say nothing about our mission. When Yahweh has given us the country, we shall treat you kindly and faithfully.'

14. And the men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land."

15. She then let them down from the window on a rope, as her house was against the city wall and she actually lived in the wall.

15. Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall.

16. 'Make for the hills,' she said, 'or you may run into your pursuers. Hide there for three days, until your pursuers have come back, and then go on your way.'

16. And she said to them, "Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way."

17. The men said, 'This is how we shall fulfil the oath which you have made us swear:

17. The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear.

18. when we invade the country, you must tie this scarlet cord to the window from which you let us down, and collect your father, mother, brothers and entire family inside your house.

18. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household.

19. If anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head and we shall not be to blame; but the blood of all staying inside the house with you will be on our heads if a hand is laid on any of them.

19. If any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.

20. But if you divulge our mission in the meanwhile, we shall be free of the oath which you have made us swear.'

20. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear."

21. She replied, 'Let it be as you say.' She let them go, and they left. She then tied the scarlet cord to the window.

21. And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

22. They left and made for the hills. They stayed there for three days, until their pursuers had gone home, having scoured the countryside without finding them.

22. They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing.

23. The two men then came down again from the hills, crossed over and, going to Joshua son of Nun, told him everything that had happened to them.

23. Then the two men came down again from the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them.

24. To Joshua they said, 'Yahweh has put the whole country at our mercy, and its inhabitants are all panic-stricken at our approach.'

24. And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us."