Rahab Welcomes the Spies (Hebrews 11:30–31)
1 UDB Then Joshua chose two men from their camp at Acacia. He told them, "Go and find out all that you can about the land, especially about Jericho." They left the camp, and they came to Jericho, to the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab. They stayed 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 UDB Someone told the king of Jericho, "Look! Some Israelite men have come here tonight to look at our 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 UDB So the king sent a messenger to tell Rahab, "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come here to look at our 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 UDB Now the woman had taken the men and hidden them in her house. So she said to the king's men, "Yes, it is true that those men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 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 UDB They left when it was dark, about the time that the guards close the city gates. I do not know where they were going. If you hurry, you might catch up with 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 UDB But in reality, the woman had taken the two men up onto the flat roof of her house and hidden them under bundles of flax that were drying on her roof. 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 UDB The king's men went out of the city to search for them on the road that leads to the fords across the Jordan River. The guards shut the city gates as the king's men went out. 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 UDB Before the Israelite men lay down to sleep that night, Rahab went up to the roof BSB BSB: Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
9 UDB and said to them, "We know that Yahweh has given you this land. All our people are terrified of you—we are so afraid of you that we will not resist you at all. 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 UDB We have heard about how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds for you to cross when you left Egypt. We heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan River, and how you totally destroyed everyone and everything in their kingdom. 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 UDB When we heard about those things, we were terrified. We no longer have courage to fight against you, for Yahweh is God, and he rules everything up in heaven and down here on earth. 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 UDB So now I want you to solemnly promise me before Yahweh, so that he may punish you if you do not do what you say. Promise me that you will act kindly to me and my family. Give me a guarantee that you will do what you promise, 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 UDB and that you will spare the lives of my father and my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all of their families, and that you will rescue my family when the Israelites destroy this city." 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 UDB The two men replied, "We will give up our lives if we do not do as we say! If you do not tell others what we are planning to do, then we will have to act kindly toward all of your family when Yahweh gives us this land." 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 UDB One of the outside walls of the house where Rahab lived was part of the wall of the city. She fastened a rope through a window that was built into the wall so the men could climb out the window and down the wall. 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 UDB Then she said to them, "When you leave the city, go up into the hills so that the men who are searching for you will not find you. Hide in caves in the hills for three days until the men who are searching for you come back. Then you can return to your camp." 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 UDB The two men gave her a red cord and said to her, "This is what you must do; if you do not do this, we will not be required to do what we have solemnly promised. BSB BSB: The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
18 UDB You must tie this red cord in the window by which you let us down, and you must gather together your father and your mother and your brothers and everyone in your father's household. 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 UDB If anyone in your family goes outside of this house into the street, he will be risking his life, and we will not be responsible if he is killed. But if anyone who is in this house with you is injured, we will be guilty. 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 UDB Also, if you tell anyone what we are planning to do, we are not required to do what we had promised to do for you and your family." BSB BSB: And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 UDB Rahab said, "I agree to do what you say." So she sent them away, and they left her. And she tied the red cord so it would hang out of the window. 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 UDB When the two men left the city, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for three days while the men who had been sent by the king continued to search for them. They searched all along the road, but they did not find the two men. 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 UDB Then the two men started back toward their camp. They went down to the river, crossed it, and returned so they could report to Joshua. They told him everything 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 UDB They said to Joshua, "Yahweh has indeed given this land to us. The people there will not be able to resist us because they are too afraid." 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.