Joshua 2:1-24

2  Then did Joshua son of Nun send out from The Acacias two men to spy out silently, saying, Go view the land and Jericho. So they came and entered the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lay there.  And it was told the king of Jericho, saying,—Lo! men have come in hither to-night of the sons of Israel to search out the land.  So the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying,—Bring forth the men that are come in unto thee who have entered thy house, for to search out all the land have they come.  And the woman took the two men and hid them,—and said: Even so the men did come in unto me, but I knew not from whence they were;  and it came to pass, as the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that the men went out, I know not whither the men went,—pursue them quickly for ye shall overtake them.  But she had taken them up to the roof,—and concealed them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order for herself upon the roof.  So the men pursued them by way of the Jordan unto the fords,—the gate being shut as soon as they who pursued them had gone forth.  And ere yet they slept, she went up unto them upon the roof;  and said unto the men, I know that Yahweh hath given unto you the land,—and that the terror of you hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away from before you. 10  For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the Red Sea from before you, when ye came forth out of Egypt,—and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan unto Sihon and unto Og, whom ye devoted to destruction; 11  and when we heard, then did our heart melt, and there rose up no longer any spirit in any man because of you,—for as for Yahweh your God, he is God—in the heavens above, and upon the earth beneath. 12  Now, therefore I pray you, swear unto me by Yahweh, since I have dealt with you in lovingkindness, that ye also will deal with the house of my father in lovingkindness, and will give me a token of faithfulness, 13  and will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have,—and will deliver our souls from death. 14  And the men said unto her, Our souls in your stead unto death if ye utter not this our business,—so shall it be, when Yahweh shall give us the land, that we will deal with thee in lovingkindness and in faithfulness. 15  And she let them down with a cord through the window,—for her house was within the wall of the rampart, and within the rampart she was dwelling. 16  And she said unto them—To the mountain get you, lest the pursuers fall in with you,—and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers return, and afterwards shall ye go your way. 17  And the men said unto her,—Free will we be from this thine oath which thou hast made us swear: 18  Lo! when we are coming into the land, this cord of crimson thread must thou bind in the window by which thou didst let us down, and thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all the household of thy father must thou gather together unto thee unto the house. 19  And it shall be, whosoever shall go forth out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head and we shall be free,—but whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our heads, if a hand be upon him. 20  Or if thou utter this our business, then shall we be free from this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 21  And she said—According to your words so shall it be. Thus sent she them away and they departed,—and she bound the crimson cord in the window. 22  And they went and came into the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers had returned,—so the pursuers made search throughout all the way, but found them not. 23  And the two men returned and came down out of the mountain, and crossed over and came unto Joshua son of Nun,—and recounted to him all that had befallen them; 24  and they said unto Joshua, Yahweh hath delivered into our hand all the land,—moreover also all the inhabitants of the land have melted away from before us.

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