Joshua 2

2 ¹ Joshua son of Nun quietly sent two spies from Acacia Grove: "Go, scout the land, especially Jericho." They went, entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and slept there.

² The king of Jericho was told, "Men came here tonight from the Israelites to scout the land."

³ Jericho's king sent to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to scout the whole land."

⁴ But the woman took the two men and hid them, and said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I didn't know where they were from. ⁵ At dark, as the gate was closing, the men left. I don't know where the men went. Chase them quickly, since you'll catch them. ⁶ But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in her flax stalks laid there. ⁷ The men chased them on the Jordan road to the fords, and once the pursuers left, the gate was shut.

⁸ Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab came up to them on the roof ⁹ and said to them, "I know the LORD has given you the land, that dread of you fell on us, and all living in the land melt away before you. ¹⁰ We heard how the LORD dried up the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. ¹¹ We heard, our hearts melted, no courage left in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and earth below. ¹² Now swear to me by the LORD: since I showed you kindness, show kindness to my father's house too. Give me a reliable sign ¹³ to spare my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all they have, and rescue us from death."

¹⁴ "Our lives for yours!" the men said. "Say nothing of our mission. When our Father gives us the land, we'll show you kindness and faithfulness."

¹⁵ She lowered them by rope through the window, since her house was in the city wall—she lived in the wall. ¹⁶ She said, "Go to the hills, or pursuers will meet you. Hide there three days until they return, then go your way."

¹⁷ The men said to her, "We will be free from this oath you have made us swear, ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window you lowered us through, and gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your father's household into the house. ¹⁹ Anyone who goes out your house doors into the street — their blood is on their own head; we're clear. But if a hand touches anyone with you inside, their blood is on our head. ²⁰ If you tell what we're doing, we're released from the oath you made us swear."

²¹ "It is as you say," she said. She sent them off; they left, and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They went into the hills, stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched the whole road and found nothing. ²³ The two men turned back, came down from the hills, crossed over, reached Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that happened to them. ²⁴ They told Joshua, "Our Father has given the whole land into our hands; all who live there melt away before us."