Spies View the Land

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men from Acacia Grovea as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and ⌊spent the night⌋b there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some men from the ⌊Israelites⌋c have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 And the king of Jericho sent for Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who came to you, the ones who have entered your house, for they have come to search out the whole land.” 4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. And she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when it was time to shut the gate ⌊for the night⌋,d the men left, and I do not know where they went. Chase after them quickly, for you may catch up to them.” 6 (But she had taken them to the roof and had hidden them ⌊in the stalks of flax⌋e that she ⌊had spread out⌋f on the roof.) 7 So the men chased after them on ⌊the way to the Jordan⌋g at the fords; and they shut the gate behind the pursuers that had gone out after them.

8 Before ⌊they went to sleep⌋,h she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away in fear because of your presence. 10 For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the ⌊Red Sea⌋i before you when you went out from Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 We heard this, and our heartsj melted, and ⌊no courage was left in anyone⌋k because of your presence. For Yahweh your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. 12 So then please swear to me by Yahweh, because ⌊I have shown loyalty to you⌋,l and ⌊you will also show loyalty⌋m ⌊to my family⌋.n You must give me a sign of good faith,o 13 and you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all that belongs to them; you will deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “⌊Our lives for yours⌋.p If you do not report this business of ours, ⌊we will show you loyalty and faithfulness⌋q when Yahweh gives us the land.”

15 Then she lowered them with a rope through the window, as her house was on the outer side of the wall, and she was residing in the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Go to the mountain, so that the pursuers will not find you, and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers return, and afterward you may go ⌊on your way⌋.”r 17 The men said to her, “We will be released from this oath of yours that you made us swear. 18 When we come to the land, you must tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you must gather your father and mother, and your brothers, and your whole family to your house. 19 If anyone goes outside the doors of your house, ⌊they will be responsible for their own death⌋,s and we will be innocent. Anyone who will be with you in the house, ⌊we will be responsible for their death⌋t ⌊if a hand is laid on them⌋.u 20 But if you report this business of ours, we will be released from your oath that you made us swear.” 21 And she said, “According to your word it will be.” Then she sent them away, and they went, and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and came to the mountain, and they stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched ⌊all along the way⌋v but did not find them. 23 The two men returned and went down from the mountain, and they crossed over and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him everything that happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “Surely Yahweh has given all the land into our hand; also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away in fear because of our presence.”

The Israelites Cross the Jordan

3 Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Acacia Grove.a And they came up to the Jordan, he and all the ⌊Israelites⌋,b and they spent the night there before they crossed over. 2 At the end of the three days the officers passed through the midst of the camp, 3 and they commanded the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God you must set out from your place and go after it. 4 But there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement.c Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on this way ⌊before⌋.”d 5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, because tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ⌊ahead of the people⌋.”e And they took up the ark of the covenant and went ⌊ahead of the people⌋.f

7 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin exalting you ⌊in the sight⌋g of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you. 8 You will command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘At the moment that you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand still in the Jordan.’ ” 9 And Joshua said to the ⌊Israelites⌋,h “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” 10 Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is in your midst, and he will certainly drive out the Canaanites ⌊from before you⌋,i and the Hittites, Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earthj is about to cross over ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 So then, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, ⌊one from each tribe⌋.k 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of all the earth,l rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off ⌊upstream⌋,m and they will stand still in one heap.

14 And it happened, when the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were ⌊ahead of the people⌋.n 15 When those carrying the ark came up to the Jordan, and the priests carrying the ark dipped their feet in the edge of the water (the Jordan was flowing over its banks during all the days of harvest), 16 the waters flowing down from above stood still; they stood up in one heap very far from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while the waters flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,o ⌊were completely cut off⌋;p and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on the dry land in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation finished crossing the Jordan.