Rahab Welcomes the Spies (Hebrews 11:30–31)
1 UST Then Joshua son of Nun chose two men from their camp at Shittim. He told them,“Go secretly and find out all that you can about the land, especially about the city of Jericho.” They left the camp and went to Jericho. A prostitute whose name was Rahab lived in that city. They stayed in her house that night. 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 UST Someone told the king of Jericho,“Be careful! Some Israelite men have come here tonight to spy on 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 UST So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab. They told her,“We know that some men are staying in your house. Surrender them to the king, because they have come here to spy on 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 UST But Rahab had already hidden the two men{ inside her house}. She told the messengers,“Yes, it is true that those men came to me. But I did not know that they were spies. 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 UST Those men left Jericho at dusk, before the guards closed the city gates. I do not know where they were going. But 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 UST { But she was lying.} She had actually taken the two men up to the{ flat} roof of her house. There she had hidden them under bundles of flax that she had laid out{ to dry} 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 UST Soldiers looked for the men all along the road that leads from Jericho to the place where people can walk across the Jordan River.{ They thought the men would travel on that road back to the Israelite camp.} As soon as the soldiers left the city, guards shut the city gates{ to keep the spies from escaping if they were actually still in the city}. 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 UST The two men expected to sleep on the roof, hiding under the flax stalks. But Rahab went up to the roof and spoke with them before they went to sleep. BSB BSB: Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
9 UST She said to them,“We know that Yahweh is going to enable you Israelites to conquer this land. As a result, all the people living in this land are so afraid of you that we will not be able to fight with you. 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 UST We have heard about how Yahweh dried up the water of the Sea of Reeds so that you could cross it when you left Egypt. We also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorite people group who lived on the eastern side of the Jordan River. We heard how you totally destroyed 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 UST When we heard about those things, we were very dismayed. Because of the way your God has helped you, we no longer feel courageous enough to fight against you.{ We know that} Yahweh, whom you worship, is the true God. He is the God who rules over everything.{ And if he is helping you, then we cannot resist you.} 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 UST So now I want you to swear a solemn oath to me by Yahweh that you will act kindly to me and my family because I have acted kindly toward you. I also want you to give me some proof 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 UST Spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all of their families. Promise me that you Israelites will not kill us{ when you 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 UST The two men told her,“May Yahweh cause us to die if we let anyone kill you or your family! If you do not tell others what we are planning to do, then we will act kindly toward you and all your family. We will not kill you when Yahweh enables us to conquer 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 UST { One of} the outside walls of the house where Rahab lived was part of the wall that was around the city of Jericho. She fastened a rope and hung it outside a window that was in that wall. That allowed the men to climb down the wall{ and escape from the city, even though the king’ s men had closed the gates}. 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 UST 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 return to the city. Then you will be able to safely 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 UST 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 have to do what you made us promise to do. BSB BSB: The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear
18 UST When we come into the land, you must tie this red cord in the window through which you let us down. You must gather together your father and mother, your brothers and sisters, and their families inside your 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 UST If anyone in your family leaves the house and goes into the street,{ our soldiers} will kill them, and we will not be guilty. But if they injure anyone who is in this house with you, 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 UST But if you tell anyone what we are planning to do, we will not have to do what you made us promise to do.” BSB BSB: And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”
21 UST Rahab said,“I agree to do what you say.” Then she sent them away, and they left her house. 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 UST 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.{ So they gave up and returned to Jericho.} 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 UST Then the two men started back toward their camp. They came down from the hills, crossed the Jordan River, and returned to the Israelite camp. They told Joshua 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 UST They said to Joshua,“We are certain that Yahweh is going to enable us to conquer that whole land. We know that because all the people there are very afraid 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.