1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly , saying, Go , view the land, and Jericho . And they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab , and lay there . 2And it was told the king of Jericho , saying, Behold , there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land. 3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab , saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee , that are entered into thy house ; for they are come to search out all the land. 4And the woman took the two men , and hid them ; and she said , Yea, the men came unto me , but I knew not whence they were : 5and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate , when it was dark , that the men went out ; whither the men went I know not : pursue after them quickly ; for ye will overtake them . 6But she had brought them up to the roof , and hid them with the stalks of flax , which she had laid in order upon the roof . 7And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan unto the fords : and as soon as they that pursued after them were gone out , they shut the gate .
Rahab's Faith and Deception
8And before they were laid down , she came up unto them upon the roof ; 9and she said unto the men , I know that Jehovah hath given you the land , and that the fear of you is fallen upon us , and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you . 10For we have heard how Jehovah dried up the water of the Red Sea before you , when ye came out of Egypt ; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan , unto Sihon and to Og , whom ye utterly destroyed . 11And as soon as we had heard it , our hearts did melt , neither did there remain any more spirit in any man , because of you : for Jehovah your God , he is God in heaven above , and on earth beneath . 12Now therefore , I pray you , swear unto me by Jehovah , since I have dealt kindly with you , that ye also will deal kindly with my father’s house , and give me a true token; 13and that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have , and will deliver our lives from death . 14And the men said unto her , Our life for yours , if ye utter not this our business ; and it shall be , when Jehovah giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee .
The Covenant of Protection
15Then she let them down by a cord through the window : for her house was upon the side of the wall , and she dwelt upon the wall . 16And she said unto them , Get you to the mountain , lest the pursuers light upon you ; and hide yourselves there three days , until the pursuers be returned : and afterward may ye go your way . 17And the men said unto her , We will be guiltless of this thine oath which thou hast made us to swear . 18Behold , when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by : and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household . 19And it shall be , that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street , his blood shall be upon his head , and we shall be guiltless : and whosoever shall be with thee in the house , his blood shall be on our head , if any hand be upon him . 20But if thou utter this our business , then we shall be guiltless of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear . 21And 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 .
The Spies' Escape and Report
22And 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 not . 23Then the two men returned , and descended from the mountain , and passed over , and came to Joshua the son of Nun ; and they told him all that had befallen them . 24And they said unto Joshua , Truly Jehovah hath delivered into our hands all the land ; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land do melt away before us .