CHAPTER 2

1 Now, Joshua, the son of Nun, had sent from Sittim two men as spies secretly, saying: Go, examine the land and Jericho. They accordingly set out and entered the house of a woman, a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and slept there.

2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, Behold, men of the children of Israel have come hither to-night to spy out the land.

3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men who have gone in to thee, who have come to thy house; for they have come to spy out the whole land.

4 Now the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. Then she says, The men, indeed, came to me, but I knew not whence they were.

5 And it was when the gate was shut in the darkness that the men went out, and I know not whither they went. Follow them quickly, for you shall apprehend them.

6 Now she had caused them to go up upon the roof, and had hidden them under stalks of flax, arranged by her on the roof.

7 And the men pursued them by the way of the Jordan, even to the fords; they, moreover, shut the gate as soon as those who pursued them went out.

8 But before they were asleep, she herself went up on the roof to them.

9 And she says to the men, I know that Jehovah has given you the land, inasmuch as your terror has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have melted at your presence.

10 For we heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the sea of Suph (the Red Sea) from before you when you went out from Egypt; and what things you did to the two kings of the Amorite, who were beyond Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you slew.

11 We heard, and our heart was melted, neither had we any more spirit before you. For Jehovah your God is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath.

12 Now therefore swear unto me, I pray, by Jehovah, (for I have dealt mercifully with you,) that you will also deal mercifully with the house of my father, and give me a true sign,

13 That you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all who are theirs, and will rescue our souls from death.

14 The men said unto her, Our life for you unto death; only you will not betray this our conversation; then it will be that when Jehovah shall have delivered the land to us, we will deal truly and mercifully with you.

15 She therefore let them down through the window by a rope; for her house was in the building of the wall, and she herself dwelt on the wall.

16 And she said to them, Hasten to the mountain, lest perchance those who are pursuing fall in with you, and keep lurking there for three days, till those who are pursuing return, and afterwards you will go on your way.

17 Then the men said to her, We shall be blameless from this your oath by which you have bound us.

18 Behold, when we shall enter the land, you will bind this line of purple thread in the window by which you have let us down; moreover, you will assemble in the house with you, your father, and your mother, and all the family of your father.

19 And it shall be that whoever shall go outside beyond the doors of the house, his blood shall be upon his head, but we shall be blameless; and whoever shall be with you, his blood shall be upon our head, if a hand be laid upon him.

20 But if you shall betray this our conversation, we shall be free from the oath by which you have bound us.

21 She answered, As you have spoken, so be it. Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet thread in the window.

22 Having set out, they came to the mountain, and remained there three days, till the return of those who had pursued, who searched over the whole way, and did not find them.

23 Those two, therefore, returning after they came down from the mountain, passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him whatever things had happened to them.

24 And they said to Joshua, Jehovah has delivered the whole land into our hands. For all the inhabitants of the land have become melted before our face.