| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. | 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. |
| 2And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” | 2The king of Jericho was told, "Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." |
| 3Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all 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." |
| 4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. | 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. |
| 5And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” | 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." |
| 6But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. | 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.) |
| 7So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. | 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. |
| 8Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof | 8Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof |
| 9and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. | 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. |
| 10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. | 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. |
| 11And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. | 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. |
| 12Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign | 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 |
| 13that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” | 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." |
| 14And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” | 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." |
| 15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. | 15So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. |
| 16And she said to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” | 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." |
| 17The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. | 17Now the men had said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us |
| 18Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. | 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. |
| 19Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. | 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. |
| 20But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” | 20But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." |
| 21And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. | 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. |
| 22They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. | 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. |
| 23Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to 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. |
| 24And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.” | 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." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
|
