1
From Shittim Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two men as spies. He told them, "Go, look at that country, especially the city of Jericho." So they went to Jericho and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab to spend the night there.
2
The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have entered the city tonight. They came to gather information about our land."
3
So the king of Jericho sent messengers to Rahab, who told her, "Bring out the men who came to your house. They came here to gather information about the entire land."
4
But the woman had already taken the two men inside and hidden them. So she said, "Yes, the men did come here. But I didn't know where they had come from.
5
When it was dark and the gate was just about to close, they left. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you'll catch up with them."
6
(She had taken them up to the roof and covered them with the flax which she had laid up there.)
7
The king's men pursued them on the road leading to a shallow place to cross the Jordan River. As soon as the king's men had left, the gate was closed.
8
Before the spies fell asleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof.
9
She said to them, "I know the LORD will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you.
10
We've heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea in front of you when you left Egypt. We've also heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites, who ruled east of the Jordan River. We've heard how you destroyed them for the LORD.