¶ And Joshua the son of Nun sent¹ out of Shittim two men to spy secretly², saying, Go view the land, even Jericho³. And they went, and came into an harlot's house⁴, named Rahab, and lodged⁶ there.

And it was told the king⁷ of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring⁸ forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search⁹ out all the country.

¹⁰And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:

And it came to pass about the time of shutting¹¹ of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out¹²: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

But she had brought them up to the roof¹³ of the house, and hid them¹⁴ with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.

And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords¹⁵: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut¹⁶ the gate.

¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

And she said unto the men, I know¹⁷ that the LORD¹⁸ hath given you the land, and that your terror¹⁹ is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint²⁰ because of you.

¶ For we²¹ have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did²² unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts²³ did melt, neither did there remain²⁴ any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD²⁵ your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Now therefore, I pray you, swear²⁶ unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will²⁷ also shew kindness unto my father's²⁸ house, and give me²⁹ a true token:

And that ye will save alive my father³⁰, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

And the men answered her, Our life for yours³¹, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD³² hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

Then she let them³³ down by a cord through the window: for her house³⁴ was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

And she said unto them, Get you³⁵ to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

³⁶And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread³⁷ in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring³⁸ thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

And it shall be, that whosoever³⁹ shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood⁴⁰ shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood⁴¹ shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

¶ And if thou⁴² utter this our business, then we will be quit⁴³ of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound⁴⁴ the scarlet line in the window.

¶ And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not⁴⁵.

⁴⁶So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:

And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD⁴⁷ hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants⁴⁸ of the country do faint because of us.