Knox Bible

1

Josue was at Setim; and from Setim he despatched two of his men on a secret errand, bidding them survey the country opposite, and the city of Jericho. These had made their way into the house of a harlot, called Rahab, and were lodging there,

2

when news came to the king of Jericho that spies from the camp of Israel had crept in under cover of darkness;

3

and he sent word to Rahab, bidding her bring out the men she was harbouring; they were spies, come to search out every corner of the land.

4

Her first act was to hide the two men away; then she made answer, True enough, they were here; I had no means of knowing whence they came.

5

But when darkness fell, and the gates were a-shutting, they crept out, both of them. I cannot tell what way they took, but if you give chase at once you will catch them.

6

Meanwhile, she had taken them up to the roof of her house, and covered them over with the stems of flax that lay there.

7

Men were sent out in pursuit along the road that leads to the Jordan ford; and as soon as these had gone out, the gates were shut behind them.

8

The two men had not yet fallen asleep in their hiding-place when the woman came up on to the roof and spoke to them.

9

Past all doubt, she said, the Lord means to give you the mastery; your coming has spread terror amongst us, and there are faint hearts everywhere in the land.

10

The story has reached us, how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea, when you marched through it out of Egypt, how you conquered Sehon and Og, the two Amorrhite kings that reigned beyond Jordan, and made an end of them.

11

You see daunted men, cowards with no heart left in them to withstand your onslaught. This Lord who is your God must be the God that rules in heaven above us, and in the world that lies beneath it.

12

And now I have done you a kindness; swear to me by this Lord of yours that you will repay it to me and mine. Pledge yourselves faithfully

13

to grant me the safety of my father and mother, my brethren and my sisters, with all that is theirs; that our lives shall be spared in the slaughter.

14

Keep our secret, said they, and our lives shall answer for yours. When the Lord makes us masters of thy country, we will remember and spare.

15

So she let them down by a rope from the window of her house, which was built into the city wall.

16

Take refuge in the hills, she told them, or you may meet the pursuers returning. Hide there for three days, until they are back again; then you may go safely on your way.

17

And they said to her, The oath we have given thee shall be binding only on one condition.

18

When we march in, the signal we shall look for will be this red rope of thine; tie it to the same window from which thou hast let us down. Father and mother, brethren and sisters, and all thy kindred, must be gathered together in thy house;

19

any of them that leaves thy door brings death on his own head; we are not answerable. Only if harm should befall those who are with thee in the house shall our lives be forfeit.

20

And if thou shouldst betray us, by making known the news thou hast of us, then the oath we have given thee binds us no longer.

21

Be it as you say, Rahab answered; and so she left them to go on their way, and hung the scarlet rope in the window.

22

The men walked on till they reached the hill country, and waited there till their pursuers came back, that had searched all along the road without finding them.

23

When these were safely in the city again, the spies came down again from the hills, and crossed the Jordan to find Josue the son of Nun. And when they had told him how it had fared with them,

24

this was the report they gave; The Lord has put all this country at our mercy; every heart in it is faint with fear.