Rahab Welcomes the Spies

(Hebrews 11:31-40)

1And Joshua the son of Nun sent from Shittim two spies secretly, saying, Go, see the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and they lay down there. 2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, men have come hither to-night from the children of Israel to search out the land. 3And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that have come to thee, who have come into thy house: for they have come to search out all the land. 4And the woman had taken and concealed the two men; and she said, Yes, the men did come unto me, but I knew not whence they were; 5and it came to pass when the gate had to be closed, at dark, that the men went out: I know not whither the men have gone. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6But she had taken them up to the roof, and secreted them under the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the roof. 7And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan, to the fords; and when they who pursued after them had gone out, they closed the gate.

8And before they had lain down, she went up to them upon the roof; 9and said to the men, I know that Jehovah has given you the land, and that the dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10For we have heard that Jehovah dried up the waters of the Red sea before you when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and to Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11We heard [of it], and our heart melted, and there remained no more spirit in any man because of you; for Jehovah your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12And now, I pray you, swear to me by Jehovah, since I have dealt kindly with you, that ye will also deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a certain sign, 13that ye will let my father live, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that belong to them, and deliver our souls from death. 14And the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

The Promise to Rahab

15And she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was upon the city-wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16And she said to them, Go to the mountain, that the pursuers may not meet with you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; and afterwards go your way. 17And the men said to her, We will be quit of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind in the window this line of scarlet thread by which thou hast let us down; and thou shalt gather to thee in the house thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household; 19and it shall be, that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, -- his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be innocent; but every one who shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be upon our head, if any hand be upon him. 20And if thou make known this our business, we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 21And she said, According to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.

22And they went, and came to the mountain, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them all the way, and found them not. 23And the two men returned and came down from the mountain, and went over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and related to him everything that had happened to them. 24And they said to Joshua, Of a surety Jehovah has given the whole land into our hands, and even all the inhabitants of the land faint because of us.