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.

Rahab and the Spies

Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies(A) from Shittim.(B) “Go, look over(C) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.(D)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab(E) and stayed there.

The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:(F) “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

But the woman had taken the two men(G) and hidden them.(H) She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,(I) they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”(J) (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax(K) she had laid out on the roof.)(L) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,(M) and as soon as the pursuers(N) had gone out, the gate was shut.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof(O) and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear(P) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up(Q) the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,(R) and what you did to Sihon and Og,(S) the two kings of the Amorites(T) east of the Jordan,(U) whom you completely destroyed.[b](V) 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear(W) and everyone’s courage failed(X) because of you,(Y) for the Lord your God(Z) is God in heaven above and on the earth(AA) below.

12 “Now then, please swear to me(AB) by the Lord that you will show kindness(AC) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign(AD) 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them(AE)—and that you will save us from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives!”(AF) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully(AG) when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 So she let them down by a rope(AH) through the window,(AI) for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills(AJ) so the pursuers(AK) will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days(AL) until they return, and then go on your way.”(AM)

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath(AN) you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord(AO) in the window(AP) through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family(AQ) into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;(AR) we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head(AS) if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.(AT)

21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord(AU) in the window.(AV)

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,(AW) until the pursuers(AX) had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands;(AY) all the people are melting in fear(AZ) because of us.”

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
  2. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.