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 a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men of the sons of Israel have come here this night to spy out the land.
3 Then the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come unto thee, who have entered into thy house; for they are come to spy out all the land.
4 And the woman had taken the two men and hidden them and said thus, It is true that some men came unto me, but I did not know where they came from.
5 And at the time of shutting the gate, when it was dark, these men went out, and I do not know where the men went; pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them among the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
7 And the men pursued after them along the way to Jordan unto the fords; and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8 And before they went to sleep, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9 and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord has given you this land because the fear of you has fallen upon us and 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 ye came out of Egypt and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11 Hearing this has melted our heart, neither has there remained any more spirit in any man because of you, for the Lord your God is God above in the heavens and in the earth beneath.
12 Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you mercy that ye will also do the same unto my father’s house, of which thou shalt give me a true sign,
13 and that ye will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren 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 ye do not declare this our business. And it shall be when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal with thee according to mercy and truth.
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
16 And she said unto them, Go to the mountain lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards ye may go your way.
17 And the men said unto her, We will be exempted of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear in the following manner.
18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shall have bound this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by, and thou shall have brought thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father’s household home unto thee.
19 And it shall be that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we will be guiltless; and whoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head if any hand touches him.
20 And if thou should declare this our business, then we will be exempted of thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
21 And she said, According unto 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 unto the mountain and abode there three days until their pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way but did not find them.
23 So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and crossed over and came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and told him all the things that had befallen them.
24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands; and also all the inhabitants of the land are faint before us.