The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Joshua 02
1 Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent two
men out of Shittim as spies, saying, “Go,
view the land, including Jericho.” They
went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and slept
there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Behold,†
men of the children of Israel came in here
tonight to spy out the land.”
3 Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying,
“Bring out the men who have come to you,
who have entered into your house; for
they have come to spy out all the land.”
4 The woman took the two men and hid
them. Then she said, “Yes, the men came
to me, but I didn’t know where they came
from.
5 About the time of the shutting of the
gate, when it was dark, the men went out.
Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with
them.”
6 But she had brought them up to the
roof, and hidden them under the stalks of
flax which she had laid in order on the
roof.
7 The men pursued them along the way
to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon
as those who pursued them had gone out,
they shut the gate.
8 Before theyhad laindown, she cameup
to them on the roof.
9 She said to the men, “I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the
fear of you has fallen upon us, and that
all the inhabitants of the land melt away
before you.
10 For we have heard how Yahweh dried
up the water of the Red Sea before you,
when you came out of Egypt; and what you
did to the two kings of the Amorites, who
were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to
Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11 As soon as we had heard it, our hearts
melted, and there wasn’t any more spirit
in any man, because of you: for Yahweh
your God, he is God in heaven above, and
on earth beneath.
12 Now therefore, please swear to me
by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with
you, that you also will deal kindly with my
father’s house, and give me a true sign;
13 and that you will save alive my father,
my mother, my brothers, and my sisters,
and all that they have, and will deliver our
lives from death.”
14 The men said to her, “Our life for
yours, if you don’t talk about this business
of ours; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives
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 side of the wall, and she lived on the
wall.
16 She said to them, “Go to the mountain,
lestthe pursuers find you. Hide yourselves
there three days, until the pursuers have
returned. Afterward, you may go your
way.”
17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless ofthis your oath whichyou’vemadeus
to swear.
18 Behold, when we come into the land,
tie this line of scarlet thread in the window
which you used to let us down. Gather to
yourself into the house your father, your
mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.
19 It shall be that whoever goes out of
the doors of your house into the street,
his blood will be on his head, and we will
be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the
house, his blood shall be on our head, if
any hand is on him.
20 But if you talk about this business of
ours,then we shall be guiltless of your oath
which you’ve made us to swear.”
21 She said, “Let it be as you have said.”
She sent them away, and they departed.
Then she tied the scarlet line in the window.
22 They went and came to the mountain,
and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned.
The pursuers sought them all along the way, but didn’t find
them.
23 Then the two men returned, descended from the mountain, crossed the
river, and came to Joshua the son of Nun.
They told him all that had happened to
them.
24 They said to Joshua, “Truly Yahweh
has delivered all the land into our hands.
Moreover, all the inhabitants of the land
melt away before us.”