1 Joshua sendeth men to spy Jericho, whom Rahab hideth. 11 She confesseth the God of Israel. 12 She requireth a sign for her deliverance. 21 The spies return to Joshua with comfortable tidings.

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent out of [a]Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, and also Jericho, and they went, and (A)came into an [b]harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Then report was made to the King of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men hither tonight, of the children of Israel, to spy out the country.

And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab saying, [c]Bring forth the men that are come to thee, and which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.

(But the woman had taken the two men, and hid them.) Therefore said she thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were.

And when they shut the gate in the dark, the men went out, whither the men went, I wot not: follow ye after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them.

(But she had brought them up to the [d]roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had spread abroad upon the roof.)

And certain men pursued after them, the way to Jordan, unto the fords, and as soon as they which pursued after them, were gone out, they shut the gate.

¶ And before they were asleep, she came up unto them upon the roof,

And said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that the [e]fear of you is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 For we have heard how the Lord (B)dried up the water of the red Sea (C)before you when ye came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, unto (D)Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed:

11 And when we heard it, our hearts [f]did faint, and there remained no more [g]courage in any because of you: for [h]the Lord your God, he is the God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, that as I have showed you mercy, ye will also show mercy unto my father’s house, and give me a true token,

13 And that ye will save alive my father and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have: and that ye will deliver our [i]souls from death.

14 And the men answered her, [j]Our life for you to die, if ye utter not this our business: and when the Lord hath given us the land, we will deal mercifully and truly with thee.

15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

16 And she said unto them, Go you into the [k]mountain, lest the pursuers meet with you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: then afterward may ye go your way.

17 And the men said unto her, [l]We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this cord of red thread in the window, whereby thou lettest us down, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household home to thee.

19 And whosoever then doth go out at the doors of thine house into the street, [m]his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: but whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand touch him:

20 And if thou utter this our [n]matter, we will be quit of thine oath, which thou hast made us swear.

21 And she answered, According unto your words, so be it: then she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the [o]red cord in the window.

22 ¶ And they departed, and came into the mountain, and there abode three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed [p]over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that came unto them.

24 Also they said unto Joshua, Surely the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land: for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:1 Which place was in the plain of Moab near unto Jordan.
  2. Joshua 2:1 Or, taverner’s house, or hostess.
  3. Joshua 2:3 Though the wicked see the hand of God upon them, yet they repent not, but seek how they may by their power and policy resist his working.
  4. Joshua 2:6 Meaning, upon the house: for then their houses were flat above, so that they might do their business thereupon.
  5. Joshua 2:9 For so God promised, Deut. 28:7; Josh. 5:1.
  6. Joshua 2:11 Or, melted.
  7. Joshua 2:11 Or, spirit.
  8. Joshua 2:11 Herein appeareth the great mercy of God, that in this common destruction he would draw a most miserable sinner to repent, and confess his Name.
  9. Joshua 2:13 Or, lives.
  10. Joshua 2:14 We warrant you on pain of our lives.
  11. Joshua 2:16 Which was near unto the city.
  12. Joshua 2:17 We shall be discharged of our oath if thou dost perform this condition that followeth: for so shalt thou and thine be delivered.
  13. Joshua 2:19 He shall be guilty of his own death.
  14. Joshua 2:20 So that others should think to escape by the same means.
  15. Joshua 2:21 Or, scarlet colored.
  16. Joshua 2:23 To wit, the river Jordan.

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