Yahusha Ba'Nun (Joshua) — 2

Rahab Protects the Spies

1 Then Yahusha Ba'Nun secretly sent out two spies from the Yasharalym camp at Acacia Grove, he instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Yurdan River, especially around Yarichu.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.

2 But someone told the king of Yarichu, “Some Yasharalym have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 

3 So the king of Yarichu 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.”

4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I did not know where they were from. 

5 They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I do not know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 

6 Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.

7 So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Yurdan river, and as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Yarichu was shut.

8 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them.

9 “I know 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 

10 For we have heard how 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Mitzraym, and we know what you did to Sihun and Ug, the two Amurite kings east of the Yurdan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 

11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH is the supreme 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH  of the Shamaym above and the Arath below.

12 “Now swear to me by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you, give me some guarantee that 

13 when Yarichu is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”

14 “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you do not betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH gives us the land.”

15 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. 

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.”

17 Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. 

18 When 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. 

19 If 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. 

20 If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.”

21 “I accept your terms,” she replied, and she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.

22 The 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.

23 Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Yurdan River, and reported to Yahusha Ba'Nun all that had happened to them. 

24 “For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”