Chapter 2

Rahab Shelters Spies

1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from aShittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came into the house of ba harlot whose name was Rahab, and 1lodged there.

2 It was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”

3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”

4 But the awoman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

5 “It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”

6 But ashe had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Now before they lay down, 1she came up to them on the roof,

9 and said to the men, “aI know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the bterror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have 1melted away before you.

10 “aFor we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the 1Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and bwhat you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you 2utterly destroyed.

11 “When we heard it, aour hearts melted and no 1courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the bLord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

12 “Now therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a apledge of 1truth,

13 and 1spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our 2lives from death.”

14 So the men said to her, “Our 1life 2for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will adeal kindly and 3faithfully with you.”

The Promise to Rahab

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall.

16 She said to them, “aGo to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.”

17 The men said to her, “aWe shall be free from this oath 1to you which you have made us swear,

18 1unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and agather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.

19 “It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, ahis blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

20 “But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.”

21 She said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them 1all along the road, but had not found them.

23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them.

24 They said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, aall the inhabitants of the land have 1melted away before us.”