| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. | 1Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. |
| 2But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” | 2It was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." |
| 3So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.” | 3And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land." |
| 4Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. | 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. |
| 5They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” | 5"It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them." |
| 6(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) | 6But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. |
| 7So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut. | 7So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate. |
| 8Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. | 8Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, |
| 9“I know the LORD has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. | 9and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. |
| 10For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. | 10"For we have heard how the LORD 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 Og, whom you utterly destroyed. |
| 11No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. | 11"When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. |
| 12“Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that | 12"Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, |
| 13when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” | 13and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." |
| 14“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land.” | 14So the men said to her, "Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." |
| 15Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. | 15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. |
| 16“Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.” | 16She said to them, "Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way." |
| 17Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. | 17The men said to her, "We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, |
| 18When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. | 18unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father's household. |
| 19If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. | 19"It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. |
| 20If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.” | 20"But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear." |
| 21“I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window. | 21She said, "According to your words, so be it." So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. |
| 22The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. | 22They departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them. |
| 23Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. | 23Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them. |
| 24“The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.” | 24They said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us." |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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