| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. | 1Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. |
| 2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” | 2But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” |
| 3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.” | 3So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.” |
| 4Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. | 4Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. |
| 5And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” | 5They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” |
| 6(But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) | 6(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) |
| 7Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. | 7So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut. |
| 8Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, | 8Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. |
| 9and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. | 9“I know the LORD has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. |
| 10For we 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. | 10For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. |
| 11And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. | 11No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. |
| 12Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, | 12“Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that |
| 13and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” | 13when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” |
| 14So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.” | 14“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land.” |
| 15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. | 15Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. |
| 16And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.” | 16“Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.” |
| 17So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, | 17Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. |
| 18unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. | 18When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. |
| 19So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. | 19If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. |
| 20And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.” | 20If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.” |
| 21Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window. | 21“I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window. |
| 22They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. | 22The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. |
| 23So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. | 23Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. |
| 24And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.” | 24“The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.” |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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