1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and came to the house of a woman, a prostitute, whose name was Rahab, and they lay down there.
2And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Look, men have come here tonight, from the Israelites, to search out the land.”
3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out the whole land.”
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden him, and she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5And it happened, as the gate was about to be shut at dark, that the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue quickly after them, for you may overtake them.”
6But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.
7So the men chased after them by the way of the Jordan, to the fords; and the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out after them.
8Now before they lay down, she went up to them on the roof
9and said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are melting away before you.
10For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
11When we heard, our hearts melted, and no spirit remained in anyone any longer because of you; for Yahweh your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
12Now then, swear to me by Yahweh that, since I have dealt with you in loyal love, you also will deal in loyal love with my father’s house, and give me a reliable sign,
13and that you will keep alive my father and my mother, my brothers and my sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
14And the men said to her, “Our life in place of yours to die! If you do not report this business of ours, then when Yahweh gives us the land we will deal with you in loyal love and faithfulness.”
15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was in the wall of the city rampart, and she was living within the rampart itself.
16And she said to them, “Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers return; then afterward you may go on your way.”
17The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath of yours which you have made us swear:
18Look, when we come into the land, you shall tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
19Then anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street—his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be free; but anyone who is with you in the house—his blood shall be on our head if a hand is against him.
20But if you report this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you have made us swear.”
21And she said, “According to your words, so let it be.” Then she sent them off, and they went; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22So they went and came to the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the way but did not find them.
23Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country; they crossed over and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they recounted to him everything that had happened to them.
24And they said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh has given all the land into our hand; indeed, all the inhabitants of the land are melting away before us.”
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