Joshua Chapter 2

Rahab and the Spies

¹ Joshua sent two men secretly from Shittim to check out the land, Jericho in particular. They went to the house of a harlot named Rahab to lodge. ² The king of Jericho heard about it, “Some men from Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” ³He sent to Rahab, “Bring the men that have come to your house. They’re spies.” ⁴ But the woman had hidden them, “Men did come, but I didn’t know where they came from. ⁵ They left when the gate closed at dark. I don’t know where they went. Follow them right away so you can catch up with them.” ⁶ But she’d taken them up to the roof and hidden them under stalks of flax. ⁷ The men pursued them toward the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as they left, the gate was shut. Josh 2:1-7          

⁸ Before they lay down, she came up to the roof ⁹ and said,

“I know the LORD is going to deliver the land to you. We’re all afraid; the people are melting away on account of you. ¹⁰ We’ve heard how he dried up the Red Sea for you when you left Egypt, and how you destroyed Sihon and Og beyond the Jordan. ¹¹ As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted. Nobody had any courage left. The LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. ¹² Now, swear by him that as I’ve dealt graciously with you, you’ll deal graciously with my father’s family. Give me a guarantee ¹³ that you’ll save my parents, brothers and sisters, and their relatives.”   

¹⁴ They said, “Our life for yours! If you don’t tell why we’re here, you can trust us to deal graciously with you when the LORD gives us the land.”

¹⁵ Her house was built against the city wall. She let them down by a rope through the window and ¹⁶ told them, “Go up into the hills so you won’t run into the ones that are searching for you. Hide there three days till they get back. Then you’ll be able to go.”

Josh 2:8-16

¹⁷ They said, “We won’t be guilty of the oath you had us swear. ¹⁸ When we come, tie this scarlet cord in the window you let us down through. Get your parents, brothers, and father’s family into the house. ¹⁹ If any of them goes out into the street, their blood’s on themselves. But if a hand is laid on anybody that’s in the house with you, that person’s blood’s on us. ²⁰ If you tell why we’re here, we won’t be obligated by the oath.”

²¹ “All right.”

She sent them away and tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They went into the hills for three days till the ones that were looking for them got back. They’d looked all along the road and didn’t find anything. ²³ Then the two men came back down from the hills and crossed over to Joshua. They told him what all had happened, ²⁴ “The LORD has for sure delivered the land to us. The inhabitants have lost heart over us.”

Josh 2:17-24