Joshua 2

Rahab Hides the Spies and Secures Her Family's Safety

4 min read

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in here to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to you, which are entered into your house: for they be come to search out all the country.
4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men to me, but I knew not from where they were:
5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: where the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for you shall overtake them.
6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan to the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. ¶
8 And before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof;
9 And she said to the men, I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token:
13 And that you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if you utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was on the town wall, and she dwelled on the wall.
16 And she said to them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may you go your way.
17 And the men said to her, We will be blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by: and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father’s household, home to you.
19 And it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his head, and we will be guiltless: and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be on him.
20 And if you utter this our business, then we will be quit of your oath which you have made us to swear.
21 And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 And they went, and came to the mountain, and stayed there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. ¶
23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
24 And they said to Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
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