1Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from Shittim. He told them, "Go look at the land, especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.
2The king of Jericho was told, "Look, some men from Israel came here tonight to spy out the land."
3The king of Jericho sent a message to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."
4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she replied, "Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn't know where they were from.
5At dusk, when the gate was about to be closed, the men left. I don't know where they went. Chase after them quickly, and you might catch them."
6However, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under stalks of flax that she had laid out there.
7The king's men pursued the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan River. As soon as the pursuers had left, the gate was shut.
8Before the spies lay down to sleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof.
9She said to them, "I know that Yahweh has given you this land, and that you have made us terrified, and that everyone in this land is trembling in fear because of you.
10For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan—Sihon and Og—whom you completely destroyed.
11As soon as we heard this, our courage failed, and no one has any spirit left because of you, for Yahweh your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.
12Now, please swear to me by Yahweh that, since I have shown kindness to you, you will also show kindness to my family. Give me a reliable sign
13that you will spare the lives of my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and everyone else who belongs to them, and rescue us from death."
14The men promised her, "We will risk our lives for yours, provided you don't tell anyone what we're doing. When Yahweh gives us the land, we will treat you with kindness and faithfulness."
15Then she let them down by a rope through her window, because her house was built into the city wall.
16She told them, "Go to the mountains so your pursuers won't find you. Hide there for three days until they have returned. After that, you can go on your way."
17The men said to her, "We are only bound by this oath you made us swear
18if, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down. Also, you must gather your father, mother, brothers, and all your family into your house.
19If anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, their death will be their own fault, and we will be innocent. But if anyone in your house is harmed, their death will be our fault.
20However, if you tell anyone about our mission, then we will be released from the oath you made us swear."
21She said, “I will do as you say.” She sent them away, and they left. Then she tied the scarlet rope in the window.
22They left and went to the mountains, where they stayed for three days until their pursuers had returned. The pursuers searched for them everywhere along the way but couldn't find them.
23Then the two men returned, came down from the mountains, crossed the river, and went to Joshua son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them.
24They told Joshua, “Yahweh has truly given us all the land. All the people in the land are terrified of us.”