Rahab Welcomes the Spies (Hebrews 11:30–31)
1 Brenton And Joshua the son of Naue sent out of Sattin two young men to spy the land , saying, Go up and view the land and Jericho: and the two young men went and entered into Jericho; and they entered into the house of a harlot, whose name was Raab, and lodged there. BSB BSB: Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 Brenton And it was reported to the king of Jericho, saying, Men of the sons of Israel have come in hither to spy the land. BSB BSB: And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”
3 Brenton And the king of Jericho sent and spoke to Raab, saying, Bring out the men that entered into thine house this night; for they are come to spy out the land. BSB BSB: So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 Brenton And the woman took the two men and hid them; and she spoke to the messengers, saying, The men came in to me, BSB BSB: But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
5 Brenton but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if ye may overtake them. BSB BSB: At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”
6 Brenton But she had brought them up upon the house, and hid them in the flax-stalks that were spread by her on the house. BSB BSB: (But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)
7 Brenton And the men followed after them in the way to Jordan to the fords; and the gate was shut. BSB BSB: So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.
The Promise to Rahab 8 Brenton And it came to pass when the men who pursued after them were gone forth, and before the spies had lain down to sleep, that she came up to them on the top of the house; BSB BSB: Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
9 Brenton and she said to them, I know that the Lord has given you the land; for the fear of you has fallen upon us. BSB BSB: and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.
10 Brenton For we have heard that the Lord God dried up the Red Sea before you, when ye came out of the land of Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. BSB BSB: For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction.
11 Brenton And when we heard it we were amazed in our heart, and there was no longer any spirit in any of us because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath. BSB BSB: When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
12 Brenton And now swear to me by the Lord God; since I deal mercifully with you, so do ye also deal mercifully with the house of my father: BSB BSB: Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
13 Brenton and save alive the house of my father, my mother, and my brethren, and all my house, and all that they have, and ye shall rescue my soul from death. BSB BSB: that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.”
14 Brenton And the men said to her, Our life for yours even to death: and she said, When the Lord shall have delivered the city to you, ye shall deal mercifully and truly with me. BSB BSB: “Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”
15 Brenton And she let them down by the window; BSB BSB: Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city.
16 Brenton and she said to them, Depart into the hill-country, lest the pursuers meet you, and ye shall be hidden there three days until your pursuers return from after you, and afterwards ye shall depart on your way. BSB BSB: “Go to the hill country,” she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go on your way.”
17 Brenton And the men said to her, We are clear of this thy oath. BSB BSB: The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
18 Brenton Behold, we shall enter into a part of the city, and thou shalt set a sign; thou shalt bind this scarlet cord in the window, by which thou hast let us down, and thou shalt bring in to thyself, into thy house, thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all the family of thy father. BSB BSB: unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house.
19 Brenton And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall go outside the door of thy house, his guilt shall be upon him, and we shall be quit of this thine oath; and we will be responsible for all that shall be found with thee in thy house. BSB BSB: If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.
20 Brenton But if any one should injure us, or betray these our matters, we shall be quit of this thine oath. BSB BSB: And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 Brenton And she said to them, Let it be according to your word; and she sent them out, and they departed. BSB BSB: “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
22 Brenton And they came to the hill-country, and remained there three days; and the pursuers searched all the roads, and found them not. BSB BSB: So the spies went out into the hill country and stayed there three days, until their pursuers had returned without finding them, having searched all along the road.
23 Brenton And the two young men returned, and came down out of the mountain; and they went over to Joshua the son of Naue, and told him all things that had happened to them. BSB BSB: Then the two men started back, came down from the hill country, and crossed the river. So they came to Joshua son of Nun and reported all that had happened to them.
24 Brenton And they said to Joshua, The Lord has delivered all the land into our power, and all the inhabitants of that land tremble because of us. BSB BSB: “The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.