Joshua, Chapter 2:

Joshua Verses, Chapter 2 of the Book of Joshua of the Bible.

Joshua - Old Testament — Joshua – Old Testament

Rahab and the spies

1. After the death of Moses, Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim to examine the land, especially Jericho. They went and entered the house of a woman named Rahab, who was a prostitute, and there they spent the night.
2. But the king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”
3. Then the king of Jericho sent a message to Rahab, saying, “Send away the men who entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4. But the woman who had hidden the two men replied: “It is true that the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.
5. When night was falling and it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don't know where they went. Follow them quickly, maybe you'll catch up.”
6. She, however, had taken the men to the terrace and had hidden them among the stalks of flax that were there.
7. The pursuers set out towards them along the path that leads to the Jordan crossing point. As soon as they left, the city gate was closed.
8. Before the spies went to bed, Rahab went up to the roof
9. and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We are terrified of your fame and all the inhabitants of this land are afraid.
10. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, who were on the other side of the Jordan and whom you completely defeated.
11. When we heard this, our hearts lost courage, and everyone is discouraged because of you, for the Lord your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
12. Now I ask you to swear an oath to me by the Lord: just as I have been kind to you, be kind to my family. Give me a sure sign
13. that you will spare the lives of my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and everything that belongs to them. Free us from death.”
14. They replied, “Our lives in exchange for yours! If you do not reveal what we are doing, we will be kind and faithful to you when the Lord gives us this land.”
15. Then Rahab helped them down through the window with a rope, for her house was built on the city wall.
16. She said to them, “Go to the mountains, so that your pursuers will not find you. Stay hidden there for three days, until they return; then you can follow your path.”
17. The men said to him, “We will be free from this oath that you made us swear
18. if, when we enter the land, you do not tie this red cord to the window through which you helped us climb down, and if you do not bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and your entire family into your house.
19. If anyone leaves the door of his house, he will be responsible for his own death; we will not be to blame. But if anyone with you is killed, we will be blamed.
20. Furthermore, if you reveal what we are doing, we will be free from this oath that you made us swear.”
21. “I agree,” Rahab replied. And she let them go. Then he tied the red string to the window.
22. When they left, they went to the mountains and stayed there for three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers looked for them all the way, but they did not find them.
23. Then the two men came down from the mountain, crossed the river and came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened.
24. And they said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has given the whole land into our hands; all the inhabitants of this land are terrified because of us.”