Joshua_Chapter 2
At that moment, Joshua, the son of Nun, secretly sent two spies from Shittim, commanding them to go and spy on the land and Jericho. So the two of them went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and lay down there.
Someone told King Jericho, ‘Tonight, Israelites will come here to spy on this place.’.
King Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, saying, Those who have come to you and entered your house must be handed over, because they have come to spy out the whole land.
The woman hid the two of them and answered, “That person has indeed come to me.”. I don’t know where they came from.
When it was dark and the city gate was about to be closed, they went out, but I didn’t know where they were going. If you hurry to catch up, you will surely catch up.
(First, the woman led the two of them up to the roof and hid them in the straw set there.)
Those people chased after them towards the crossing of the Jordan River. As soon as the pursuers left, the city gate closed.
Before they could lie down, the woman went up to the roof and came to them,
And he said to them, I know that the Lord has given you this land, and we have all been alarmed because of you. All the inhabitants of this land have digested their hearts before you.
For we have heard how the Lord caused the waters of the Red Sea to dry up before you when you left Egypt, and how you dealt with the two Amorite kings Sihon and Og on the east side of the Jordan River, completely destroying them.
As soon as we hear these things, our hearts digest. Due to your reasons, no one has the courage. The Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth.
Now that I have shown kindness to you, swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s house and give me a true evidence,
Save my parents, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save our lives from death.
The two of them said to her, “If you don’t disclose our matter, we are willing to die for you.”. When the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you with love and honesty.
So the woman let the two down through the window with a rope. Because her house is located by the city wall, she also lives on it.
She said to them, “Go up to the mountain, or the pursuers may come across you.”. You need to hide there for three days, wait for the pursuers to come back, and then you can follow your path.
The two of them said to her, “You should do this.”. Otherwise, the oath you made us take will be irrelevant to us.
When we come to this place, tie this red string to the window through which we are lowered, and gather your parents, brothers, and your father’s entire family in your house.
Anyone who goes out of your house into the street will have their blood on their head, and they have nothing to do with us. If anyone in your house lays hands on him, the guilt of shedding his blood will be on our heads.
If you reveal this matter to us, the oath you made us take will be irrelevant to us.
The woman said, follow your words. So he sent them away and tied the red string around the window.
The two of them went to the mountain and stayed there for three days, waiting for the pursuers to return. The pursuers searched for them all the way, but couldn’t find them.
The two of them returned from the mountain and crossed the river to Joshua, the son of Nun, and told him all the things that had happened.
And he said to Joshua, Indeed, the Lord has delivered all that land into our hands. All the residents of that place have digested their hearts before us.