(KJV) Joshua 2¹

⥃Rahab Welcomes the Spies ^{[ Hebrews 11:30–31 ]}

[1] And Joshua the son of Nun sent² out of Shittim³ two men to spy secretly⁴, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho⁵. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house⁶, named Rahab, and lodged⁷ there. [2] And it was told the king⁸ of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. [3] And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring⁹ forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search¹⁰ out all the country. [4] And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]:¹¹ [5] And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting¹² of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out¹³: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. [6] But she had brought them up to the roof¹⁴ of the house, and hid them¹⁵ with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. [7] And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords¹⁶: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut¹⁷ the gate.

⥃The Promise to Rahab

[8] And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; [9] And she said unto the men, I know¹⁸ that the Lord¹⁹ hath given you the land, and that your terror²⁰ is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint²¹ because of you. [10] For we²² have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did²³ unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. [11] And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts²⁴ did melt, neither did there remain²⁵ any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord²⁶ your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. [12] Now therefore, I pray you, swear²⁷ unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will²⁸ also shew kindness unto my father’s²⁹ house, and give me³⁰ a true token: [13] And [that] ye will save alive my father³¹, 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 yours³², if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord³³ hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. [15] Then she let them³⁴ down by a cord through the window: for her house³⁵ [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. [16] And she said unto them, Get you³⁶ to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. [17] And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.³⁷ [18] Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread³⁸ in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring³⁹ thy father⁴⁰, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. [19] And it shall be, [that] whosoever⁴¹ shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood⁴²⁴³ [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him. [20] And if thou⁴⁴ utter this our business, then we will be quit⁴⁵ of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. [21] And she said, According unto your words, so [be] it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound⁴⁶ the scarlet line in the window. [22] And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought [them] throughout all the way, but found [them] not⁴⁷.

[23] [¶]So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all [things] that befell them: [24] And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord⁴⁸ hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants⁴⁹ of the country do faint⁵⁰ because of us.