Joshua 2

¹ Joshua son of Nun sent out two spies secretly from Shittim.[*a] He said, ‘Go out and explore the country at Jericho’. They went, and they entered the house of a harlot called Rahab; there they lodged.

² Word of this was brought to the king of Jericho, ‘Take notice, some men from the Israelites have come here tonight to reconnoitre the country’.

³ Then the king of Jericho 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’.

⁴ But the woman took the two men and hid them; and she answered, ‘True, the 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 went. Follow them quickly, you may still overtake them.’

⁶ She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under stalks of flax she had heaped up there.

⁷ The king’s men pursued them towards the Jordan, as far as the fords, and the gate was shut once the pursuers had gone through.

⁸ The others had not yet lain down when Rahab came up to them on the roof.

⁹ She said to them, ‘I know that Yahweh has given you this land, that we ourselves are afraid of you and that all who live in this territory have been seized with terror at your approach;

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 with the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under the ban.

¹¹ When we heard this, our hearts failed us, and no courage is left in any of us to stand up to you, because Yahweh your God is God both in heaven above and on earth beneath.

¹² Swear to me now by Yahweh, then, since I myself have shown you kindness, that you too will show kindness to the people of my father’s house, and will give me a sure sign of this;

¹³ 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.’

¹⁴ Then the men answered her, ‘If we do not, it is we, not you, who will deserve to die, unless you tell of our agreement. When Yahweh has given us the land, we will deal with you kindly and faithfully.’

¹⁵ Rahab let them down from the window by a rope, for her house was against the city wall and she lived inside the wall itself.

¹⁶ She said, ‘You must make for the hills, to escape your pursuers. Hide there for three days till the pursuers have returned, and then go on your way.’

¹⁷ The men answered, ‘We for our part will be free of the oath you made us swear, except on these conditions.

¹⁸ When we enter your land you must use this sign: you must tie this scarlet cord to the window from which you let us down, and you must gather with you in your house your father and mother and brothers and all your family.

¹⁹ If anybody passes through the doors of your house to go out, his blood shall be on his own head and we are not to blame; but the blood of all who stay with you in the house shall be on our heads if a hand is laid on any of them.

²⁰ If you make this talk of ours known, we shall be free of the oath that you made us swear.’

²¹ She replied, ‘Let it be as you say’. She let them go, and they left. Then she tied the scarlet cord to the window. [*b]

²² They left her and made for the hills. They stayed there for three days, till the pursuers had returned, having scoured the countryside without finding them.

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

²⁴ They said to Joshua, ‘Yahweh has delivered the whole country into our hands, and its inhabitants all tremble already at the thought of us’.