Joshua 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 From Shittim, Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men to reconnoitre. He said, 'Go and explore thecountry and Jericho.' They left; they went into the house of a prostitute called Rahab, to spend the night there.	1 And 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.
2 The king of Jericho was told, 'Some men have come here tonight from the Israelites, to reconnoitre thecountry.'	2 And 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.”
3 The king of Jericho then sent a message to Rahab, 'Send out the men who came to you and are lodgingin your house, for they have come to reconnoitre the whole country.'	3 And 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.”
4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. 'It is true,' she said, 'the men did come to me, but I didnot know where they came from.	4 And 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.
5 When the city gate was about to be closed at nightfal , the men went out and I cannot say where theyhave gone. Follow them quickly and you wil overtake them.'	5 And 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.”
6 She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some stalks of flax which she had laid outthere.	6 But she caused the men to ascend to the roof of her house, and she covered them with the stalks of flax that were there.
7 The men hurried in pursuit of them towards the Jordan, as far as the fords, and the gate was shut oncethe pursuers had gone through.	7 But 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.
8 The two men had not yet settled down for the night when Rahab came up to them on the roof.	8 Those who were hiding had not yet fallen asleep, and behold, the woman went up to them, and she said:
9 She said to them, 'I know that Yahweh has given you this country, that we are afraid of you and thateveryone living in this country has been seized with terror at your approach;	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.
10 for we have heard how Yahweh dried up the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out of Egyptand what you did to the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under the curse ofdestruction.	10 We 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.
11 When we heard this, our hearts failed us, and now no one has any courage left to resist you, sinceYahweh your God is God both in heaven above and on earth beneath.	11 And 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.
12 So, swear to me now by Yahweh, since I have been kind to you,	12 Now, 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
13 that you in your turn will be kind to my father's family; and give me a sure sign of this: that you wilspare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and al who belong to them, and will preserveus from death.'	13 that 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.”
14 The men replied, 'We pledge you our lives, provided that you say nothing about our mission. WhenYahweh has given us the country, we shal treat you kindly and faithful y.'	14 They 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.”
15 She then let them down from the window on a rope, as her house was against the city wal and sheactual y lived in the wal .	15 Therefore, she sent them down from a window with a rope. For her house was joined to the wall.
16 'Make for the hil s,' she said, 'or you may run into your pursuers. Hide there for three days, until yourpursuers have come back, and then go on your way.'	16 And 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.”
17 The men said, 'This is how we shall fulfil the oath which you have made us swear:	17 And they said to her: “We shall be innocent of this oath, to which you have sworn us,
18 when we invade the country, you must tie this scarlet cord to the window from which you let us down,and collect your father, mother, brothers and entire family inside your house.	18 if, 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.
19 If anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood wil be on his own head and weshall not be to blame; but the blood of al staying inside the house with you wil be on our heads if a hand is laidon any of them.	19 Whoever 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.
20 But if you divulge our mission in the meanwhile, we shal be free of the oath which you have made usswear.'	20 But 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.”
21 She replied, 'Let it be as you say.' She let them go, and they left. She then tied the scarlet cord to thewindow.	21 And 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.
22 They left and made for the hil s. They stayed there for three days, until their pursuers had gone home,having scoured the countryside without finding them.	22 And 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.
23 The two men then came down again from the hil s, crossed over and, going to Joshua son of Nun, toldhim everything that had happened to them.	23 And 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.
24 To Joshua they said, 'Yahweh has put the whole country at our mercy, and its inhabitants are al panic-stricken at our approach.'	24 And they said, “The Lord has delivered this entire land into our hands, and all its inhabitants have been struck down by fear.”