Josua 2

1And Josue the son of Nun sent from Setim two men, to spy secretly: and said to them: Go, and view the land and the city of Jericho. They went and entered into the house of a woman that was a harlot named Rahab, and lodged with her.

2And it was told the king of Jericho, and was said: Behold there are men come in hither, by night, of the children of Israel, to spy the land.

3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying: Bring forth the men that came to thee, and are entered into thy house: for they are spies, and are come to view all the land.

4And the woman taking the men, hid them, and said: I confess they came to me, but I knew not whence they were:

5And at the time of shutting the gate in the dark, they also went out together. I know not whither they are gone: pursue after them quickly, and you will overtake them.

6But she made the men go up to the top of her house, and covered them with the stalks of flax, which was there.

7Now they that were sent, pursued after them, by the way that leadeth to the fords of the Jordan: and as soon as they were gone out, the gate was presently shut.

8The men that were hidden were not yet asleep, when behold the woman went up to them, and said:

9I know that the Lord hath given this land to you: for the dread of you is fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have lost all strength.

10We have heard that the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea at your going in, when you came out of Egypt: and what things you did to the two kings of the Amorrhites, that were beyond the Jordan: Sehon and Og whom you slew.

11And hearing these things we were affrighted, and our heart fainted away, neither did there remain any spirit in us at your coming in: for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath.

12Now therefore swear ye to me by the Lord, that as I have shewn mercy to you, so you also will shew mercy to my father’s house: and give me a true token,

13That you will save my father and mother, my brethren and sisters, and all things that are theirs, and deliver our souls from death.

14They answered her: Be our lives for you unto death, only if thou betray us not. And when the Lord shall have delivered us the land, we will shew thee mercy and truth.

15Then she let them down with a cord out of a window: for her house joined close to the wall.

16And she said to them: Get ye up to the mountains, lest perhaps they meet you as they return: and there lie ye hid three days, till they come back, and so you shall go on your way.

17And they said to her: We shall be blameless of this oath, which thou hast made us swear:

18If when we come into the land, this scarlet cord be a sign, and thou tie it in the window, by which thou hast let us down: and gather together thy father and mother, and brethren and all thy kindred into thy house.

19Whosoever shall go out of the door of thy house, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we shall be quit. But the blood of all that shall be with thee in the house, shall light upon our head, if any man touch them.

20But if thou wilt betray us, and utter this word abroad, we shall be quit of this oath which thou hast made us swear.

21And she answered: As you have spoken, so be it done. And sending them on their way, she hung the scarlet cord in the window.

22But they went and came to the mountains, and stayed there three days till they that pursued them were returned. For having sought them through all the way, they found them not.

23And when they were gone back into the city, the spies returned, and came down from the mountain: and passing over the Jordan, they came to Josue the son of Nun, and told him all that befel them.

24And said: The Lord hath delivered all this land into our hands, and all the inhabitants thereof are overthrown with fear.

1Misit igitur Josue filius Nun de Setim duos viros exploratores in abscondito: et dixit eis: Ite, et considerate terram, urbemque Jericho. Qui pergentes ingressi sunt domum mulieris meretricis, nomine Rahab, et quieverunt apud eam.

2Nuntiatumque est regi Jericho, et dictum: Ecce viri ingressi sunt huc per noctem de filiis Israël, ut explorarent terram.

3Misitque rex Jericho ad Rahab, dicens: Educ viros, qui venerunt ad te, et ingressi sunt domum tuam: exploratores quippe sunt, et omnem terram considerare venerunt.

4Tollensque mulier viros, abscondit, et ait: Fateor, venerunt ad me, sed nesciebam unde essent:

5cumque porta clauderetur in tenebris, et illi pariter exierunt; nescio quo abierunt: persequimini cito, et comprehendetis eos.

6Ipsa autem fecit ascendere viros in solarium domus suæ, operuitque eos stipula lini, quæ ibi erat.

7Hi autem, qui missi fuerant, secuti sunt eos per viam, quæ ducit ad vadum Jordanis: illisque egressis statim porta clausa est.

8Necdum obdormierant qui latebant, et ecce mulier ascendit ad eos, et ait:

9Novi quod Dominus tradiderit vobis terram: etenim irruit in nos terror vester, et elanguerunt omnes habitatores terræ.

10Audivimus quod siccaverit Dominus aquas maris Rubri ad vestrum introitum, quando egressi estis ex Ægypto: et quæ feceritis duobus Amorrhæorum regibus, qui erant trans Jordanem, Sehon et Og, quos interfecistis.

11Et hæc audientes pertimuimus, et elanguit cor nostrum, nec remansit in nobis spiritus ad introitum vestrum: Dominus enim Deus vester ipse est Deus in cælo sursum et in terra deorsum.

12Nunc ergo jurate mihi per Dominum, ut quomodo ego misericordiam feci vobiscum, ita et vos faciatis cum domo patris mei: detisque mihi verum signum,

13ut salvetis patrem meum et matrem, et fratres ac sorores meas, et omnia quæ illorum sunt, et eruatis animas nostras a morte.

14Qui responderunt ei: Anima nostra sit pro vobis in mortem, si tamen non prodideris nos: cumque tradiderit nobis Dominus terram, faciemus in te misericordiam et veritatem.

15Demisit ergo eos per funem de fenestra: domus enim ejus hærebat muro.

16Dixitque ad eos: Ad montana conscendite, ne forte occurrant vobis revertentes: ibique latitate tribus diebus, donec redeant, et sic ibitis per viam vestram.

17Qui dixerunt ad eam: Innoxii erimus a juramento hoc, quo adjurasti nos:

18si ingredientibus nobis terram, signum fuerit funiculus iste coccineus, et ligaveris eum in fenestra, per quam demisisti nos: et patrem tuum ac matrem, fratresque et omnem cognationem tuam congregaveris in domum tuam.

19Qui ostium domus tuæ egressus fuerit, sanguis ipsius erit in caput ejus, et nos erimus alieni. Cunctorum autem sanguis, qui tecum in domo fuerint, redundabit in caput nostrum, si eos aliquis tetigerit.

20Quod si nos prodere volueris, et sermonem istum proferre in medium, erimus mundi ab hoc juramento, quo adjurasti nos.

21Et illa respondit: Sicut locuti estis, ita fiat: dimittensque eos ut pergerent, appendit funiculum coccineum in fenestra.

22Illi vero ambulantes pervenerunt ad montana, et manserunt ibi tres dies, donec reverterentur qui fuerant persecuti: quærentes enim per omnem viam, non repererunt eos.

23Quibus urbem ingressis, reversi sunt, et descenderunt exploratores de monte: et, transmisso Jordane, venerunt ad Josue filium Nun, narraveruntque ei omnia quæ acciderant sibi,

24atque dixerunt: Tradidit Dominus omnem terram hanc in manus nostras, et timore prostrati sunt cuncti habitatores ejus.

1And so Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men from Shittim to explore in secret. And he said to them, “Go and consider the land and the city of Jericho.” And while traveling, they entered into the house of a harlot woman named Rahab, and they rested with her.

2And it was reported to the king of Jericho, and it was said: “Behold, men have entered to this place in the night, from the sons of Israel, so that they might explore the land.”

3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying: “Bring out the men who came to you, and who entered into your house. For certainly they are spies, and they have arrived to consider the entire land.”

4And the woman, taking the men, hid them. And she said: “I admit that they came to me, but I did not know where they were from.

5And when the gate was closed, they went out together in the darkness. I do not know where they have gone. Pursue them quickly, and you will overtake them.”

6But she caused the men to ascend to the roof of her house, and she covered them with the stalks of flax that were there.

7But those who had been sent pursued after them along the way that leads to the ford of the Jordan. And as soon as they went out, the gate was closed.

8Those who were hiding had not yet fallen asleep, and behold, the woman went up to them, and she said:

9“I know that the Lord has given this land to you. For the terror of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have languished.

10We have heard that the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea upon your arrival, when you were departing from Egypt, and we heard of the things that you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put to death.

11And upon hearing these things, we were very afraid, and our heart languished. Neither did there remain in us any spirit at your arrival. For the Lord your God is the very God in heaven above and on earth below.

12Now, therefore, swear to me by the Lord that in the same way that I have acted with mercy toward you, so also shall you act toward the house of my father. And may you give me a true sign

13that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all that is theirs, and that you may rescue our souls from death.”

14They responded to her: “May our lives be yours unto death, if only you do not betray us. And when the Lord will have delivered the land to us, we will act toward you with mercy and truth.”

15Therefore, she sent them down from a window with a rope. For her house was joined to the wall.

16And she said to them: “Climb up to the mountains; otherwise, they may meet you as they are returning. And lay hidden there for three days, until they return. And then you will go on your way.”

17And they said to her: “We shall be innocent of this oath, to which you have sworn us,

18if, when we enter into the land, this scarlet cord has been placed as a sign, and you have tied it at the window by which you let us down. And so, gather your father, and mother, and brothers, and all your family into your house.

19Whoever will have exited from the door of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be uninvolved. But the blood of all who will be with you in the house shall fall back upon our own head, if anyone touches them.

20But if you will have betrayed us, so that you spread this word in their midst, we will be free from this oath, to which you have sworn us.”

21And she responded, “Just as you have spoken, so let it be done.” And sending them to travel on, she hung the scarlet cord at the window.

22And truly, walking on, they arrived at the mountains, and they stayed there for three days, until those who had been pursuing them returned. For having sought them along the entire way, they did not find them.

23And when they returned and entered the city, the explorers descended from the mountain. And crossing the Jordan, they went to Joshua, the son of Nun, and they reported to him all that had happened to them.

24And they said, “The Lord has delivered this entire land into our hands, and all its inhabitants have been struck down by fear.”