Rahab Welcomes the Spies (Hebrews 11:30–31)
1 ULT And Joshua, the son of Nun, secretly sent from Shittim two men, spies, saying,“Go, see the land and Jericho.” And they went and entered the house of a woman, a prostitute, and her name{ was} Rahab, and 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 ULT And it was said to the king of Jericho, saying,“Behold, men have come here tonight from the sons of Israel to search out 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 ULT Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying,“Bring out the men, the ones coming to you, who came to your house, because they have come to search out all of 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 ULT But the woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. And she said,“Indeed, the men came to me, but I did not know from where they{ were}. 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 ULT And the gate was to shut at darkness, and the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue quickly after them, for you 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 ULT (Now she had brought them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax arranged by her on the 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 ULT So the men pursued after them{ on} the road of the Jordan to the fords. And they shut the gate after when the pursuers had gone out after them. 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 ULT Now before they lay down, she went up to them on the roof. BSB BSB: Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
9 ULT And she said to the men,“I know that Yahweh has given the land to you and that the dread of you has fallen on us and that all the dwellers of the land have melted from your faces. 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 ULT For we have heard that Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds from your faces in your going out from Egypt, and what you did to two of the kings of the Amorite who{ were} on the other side of the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, that you devoted them. 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 ULT And we have heard, and our heart has melted, and the spirit in a man no longer stands from your faces. For Yahweh your God, he{ is} God in the heavens above and on the earth below. 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 ULT And now, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I am doing kindness with you, that you yourselves will also do kindness with the house of my father, and give to me a sign of truth, 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 ULT that you will keep alive my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters and all who{ are} to them and you will deliver our lives 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 ULT And the men said to her,“Our lives in place of yours to die! If you do not tell this matter of ours, then it will happen, in Yahweh’ s giving the land to us, that we will do kindness and faithfulness with you.” 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 ULT Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window(for her house{ was} in the side of the wall, so she was dwelling in 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 ULT And she said to them,“Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers meet you. And hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. And afterwards you may go 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 ULT And the men said to her,“We{ will be} innocent from this oath of yours that you have made us swear: BSB BSB: The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
18 ULT Behold us, coming into the land! You shall tie this cord of thread of scarlet in the window through which you lower us down, and your father and your mother and your brothers and all of the house of your father, you shall gather to you at the house. 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 ULT And it will be, anyone who goes out from the doors of your house to the outside, his blood{ will be} on his head and we{ will be} innocent. But anyone who is with you in the house, his blood{ will be} on our head if a hand shall be on him. 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 ULT But if you tell this matter of ours, then we will be innocent from your oath that you have made us swear.” BSB BSB: And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 ULT And she said,“According to your words, so{ be} it.” And she sent them away, and they went. And she tied the cord of scarlet in 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 ULT And they went and came to the hill country, and they stayed there three days, until the pursuers had returned. And the pursuers searched along all of the road, but they did not find them. 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 ULT And the two men returned and descended from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and they recounted to him all of the things having found 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 ULT And they said to Joshua,“Truly Yahweh has given all of the land into our hand, for indeed, all of the dwellers of the land are melting from our faces.” 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.