| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. | 1Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them: "Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho." They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there. |
| 2The king of Jericho was told, "Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." | 2The king of Jericho received this report: "Note well! Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on the land." |
| 3So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." | 3So the king of Jericho sent this order to Rahab: "Turn over the men who came to you--the ones who came to your house--for they have come to spy on the whole land!" |
| 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. | 4But the woman hid the two men and replied, "Yes, these men were clients of mine, but I didn't know where they came from. |
| 5At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." | 5When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. I don't know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!" |
| 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) | 6(Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out on the roof.) |
| 7So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. | 7Meanwhile the king's men tried to find them on the road to the Jordan River near the fords. The city gate was shut as soon as they set out in pursuit of them. |
| 8Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof | 8Now before the spies went to sleep, Rahab went up to the roof. |
| 9and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. | 9She said to the men, "I know the LORD is handing this land over to you. We are absolutely terrified of you, and all who live in the land are cringing before you. |
| 10We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. | 10For we heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt and how you annihilated the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the other side of the Jordan. |
| 11When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. | 11When we heard the news we lost our courage and no one could even breathe for fear of you. For the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below! |
| 12"Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign | 12So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the LORD's name. Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. Give me a solemn pledge |
| 13that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them--and that you will save us from death." | 13that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and rescue us from death." |
| 14"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." | 14The men said to her, "If you die, may we die too! If you do not report what we've been up to, then, when the LORD hands the land over to us, we will show unswerving allegiance to you." |
| 15So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. | 15Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window. (Her house was built as part of the city wall; she lived in the wall.) |
| 16She said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." | 16She told them, "Head to the hill country, so the ones chasing you don't find you. Hide from them there for three days, long enough for those chasing you to return. Then you can be on your way." |
| 17Now the men had said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us | 17The men said to her, "We are not bound by this oath you made us swear unless the following conditions are met: |
| 18unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. | 18When we invade the land, tie this red rope in the window through which you let us down, and gather together in your house your father, mother, brothers, and all who live in your father's house. |
| 19If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. | 19Anyone who leaves your house will be responsible for his own death--we are innocent in that case! But if anyone with you in the house is harmed, we will be responsible. |
| 20But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." | 20If you should report what we've been up to, we are not bound by this oath you made us swear." |
| 21"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. | 21She said, "I agree to these conditions." She sent them on their way and then tied the red rope in the window. |
| 22When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. | 22They went to the hill country and stayed there for three days, long enough for those chasing them to return. Their pursuers looked all along the way but did not find them. |
| 23Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. | 23Then the two men returned--they came down from the hills, crossed the river, came to Joshua son of Nun, and reported to him all they had discovered. |
| 24They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us." | 24They told Joshua, "Surely the LORD is handing over all the land to us! All who live in the land are cringing before us!" |
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