Rahab and the Spies

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spiesu from Shittim.v “Go, look overw the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.x” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahaby and stayed there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab:z “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

4 But the woman had taken the two mena and hidden them.b She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate,c they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”d 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flaxe she had laid out on the roof.)f 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan,g and as soon as the pursuersh had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roofi 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fearj 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 upk the water of the Red Seaa for you when you came out of Egypt,l and what you did to Sihon and Og,m the two kings of the Amoritesn east of the Jordan,o whom you completely destroyed.b p 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fearq and everyone’s courage failedr because of you,s for the Lord your Godt is God in heaven above and on the earthu below.

12 “Now then, please swear to mev by the Lord that you will show kindnessw to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure signx 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to themy—and that you will save us from death.”

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

15 So she let them down by a ropeb through the window,c for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hillsd so the pursuerse will not find you. Hide yourselves there three daysf until they return, and then go on your way.”g

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oathh you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cordi in the windowj through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your familyk into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads;l we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our headm 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.n”

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

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cordo in the window.p

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days,q until the pursuersr 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;s all the people are melting in feart because of us.”