Two Spies at Jericho
1Joshua son of Nun sent two men out from Shittim as spies, secretly, saying, “Go, view the land — especially Jericho.” They went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and they stayed there. 2The king of Jericho was told, “Look — men from the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you, who entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5When the gate was about to close at dark, the men left. I do not know where they went. Chase after them quickly — you can still catch them.” 6But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out there. 7So the men pursued them along the road to the Jordan, toward the fords, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. 8Before the men lay down, she went up to them on the roof 9and said to them, “I know that Yahweh has given you this land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are melting with fear before you. 10For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Reed Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. 11When we heard it, our hearts melted, and everyone lost courage because of you, for Yahweh your God — he is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12Now please swear to me by Yahweh that, since I have shown you kindness, you also will show kindness to my father’s household, and give me a sure sign, 13that you will spare my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and save our lives from death.” 14The men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if only you do not betray this business of ours. When Yahweh gives us the land, we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” 15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, and she lived within the wall. 16She said to them, “Go to the hill country, or the pursuers will meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers return, and after that go on your way.” 17The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear 18unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household into your house. 19If anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone who stays with you in the house, his blood will be on our head. 20And if you betray this business of ours, we will be free from the oath you made us swear.” 21She said, “Let it be as you say.” Then she sent them away, and they left. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22They went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched all along the road but did not find them. 23Then the two men came back down from the hill country, crossed over, and came to Joshua son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them. 24They said to Joshua, “Yahweh has truly given the whole land into our hands. All the inhabitants of the land are melting with fear because of us.”
