¶ Then Iosua the son of Nun sent out of Settim two spies secretly saying: go and view the land and also Iericho. And they went, and came unto a harlot's {tavernar's} house named Rahab, and lodged there.
And it was told the king of Iericho saying: Behold there came men in hither tonight, of the children of Israel, to spy out the country.
And the king of Iericho sent unto Rahab saying: bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.
And the woman took the two men and hid them. And said, indeed there came men unto me but I wot not whence they were.
And about the time of the shutting of the gate when it was dark, they went out, whither they went I wot not: but follow after them quickly and ye shall take them.
And she brought them up upon the roof of the house, and hid them under flax (yet in the stalks) which she had lying abroad upon the roof.
And the men pursued after them, the way to Iordan even unto the passage, and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gates immediately.
¶ And or ever they were asleep, she came up unto them upon the roof,
and said unto the men: I know that the LORD hath given you the land, both because that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and because that the inhabiters of the land faint at your coming.
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the red sea before you, when you came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites on the other side Iordan Sehon, and Og, which ye utterly destroyed.
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did faint. And there remained no more courage in any man for fear of your coming. For the LORD your God, he is the God in heaven above: and on the earth beneath.
Now therefore swear unto me by the LORD because I have shewed you mercy, that ye shall also shew mercy unto my father's house and give me a true token.
And that ye shall save alive, both my father, and my mother, my brethren and my sisters, and all that pertain unto them. And that ye shall deliver our souls from death.
And the men answered her, our lives for you to die, if you utter not this our communication. And so when the LORD hath given us the land, we will deal Mercifully and truly with thee.
And then she let them down with a cord thorow the window. For her house stood in the town wall. And she dwelt in the town wall.
And she said unto them, get you into the mountains, lest the followers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned, and then may ye go your ways.
And the men said unto her, we will be blameless of thy oath, which thou hast made us swear.
Behold, when we come unto the land, thou shalt bind this purple threaden cord in the window, which thou lettest us down by. And thou shalt bring thy father, thy mother, thy brethren, and all thy father's household, even into the house to thee.
And then whosoever go out at the doors of thy house, into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we guiltless. And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood be upon our heads if any man's hand be upon him:
And even so if thou utter these our words, we will be quite of thy oath which thou hast made us swear.
And she said according unto your words so be it: and so sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the purple cord in the window.
¶ And they departed and got them into the mountains, and there abode three days until the pursuers were returned. And the pursuers sought thorowout all the way and found them not.
And the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over, and came to Iosua the son of Nun, and told him all that had chanced them.
And they said unto Iosua the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land, for all the inhabiters of the country faint for fear of us.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.