Rahab Welcomes the Spies
(Hebrews 11:30–31)

1And Joshua son of Nun sent out from Shittim† two men to spy secretly, saying, “Go, see the land, and especially Jericho.” And they went, and came to the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name was Rahab, and they lay down there.

2And it was said to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel to search out the land.”

3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who are coming in to you, who have entered your house, for they have come in to search out all of the land.”

4And the woman took the two men and hid them, and she said, “Indeed, the men came to me; I did not know from where they were. 5And it came to pass, when the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you⁺ may overtake them.” 6(And she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the flax stalks, which she had arranged on the roof.)

7And the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan to the fords, and they shut the gate afterward, when those who pursued them had gone out.

The Promise to Rahab

8And before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof. 9And she said to the men, “I know that YHWH has given to you⁺ the land, and that the terror of you⁺ has fallen on us, so that all those dwelling in the land have melted because of you⁺. 10For we have heard how YHWH dried up the waters of the Red Sea† before your⁺ faces in your⁺ going out of Egypt, and what you⁺ did to the two kings of the Amorite who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, that you⁺ devoted them to destruction.† 11And we heard, and our hearts melted, and there did not stand the spirit anymore in any man before your⁺ faces, for YHWH your⁺ God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

12And now swear to me, please, by YHWH, since I have shown you⁺ kindness, that you⁺ also will show kindness to the house of my father, and give to me a sign of truth, 13and spare my father, and my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters, and all that is unto them, and deliver our lives from death.”

14And the men answered her, “Our lives for yours⁺ to die. If you⁺ do not tell this matter of ours, then it shall come to pass, when YHWH has given us the land, that we will deal with you with kindness and faithfulness.”

15And she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was in the side of the wall, and she was dwelling in the wall. 16And she said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you⁺, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned. And afterward you⁺ may go your⁺ way.”

17And the men said to her, “We will be blameless of this oath of yours, which you have made us swear, 18unless we come into the land and this line of scarlet cord you have tied in the window through which you let us down, and unless your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all the house of your father, you have gathered to your own house. 19And it shall come to pass that anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20And if you tell this matter of ours, we will be free from your oath that you have made us swear.”

21And she said, “According to your⁺ words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed, and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22And they departed and went to the mountain and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. And the pursuers sought them all along the way, and did not find them. 23And the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and they came to Joshua son of Nun and told him all that had found them.

24And they said to Joshua, “Truly YHWH has delivered into our hands all the land. For indeed, all those dwelling in the land are fainthearted at our presence.”