Parallel Bible results for "joshua 2"

Joshua 2

The Message Bible MSG

1 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out from Shittim two men as spies: "Go. Look over the land. Check out Jericho." They left and arrived at the house of a harlot named Rahab and stayed there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, "We've just learned that men arrived tonight to spy out the land. They're from the People of Israel."

3 The king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you to stay the night in your house. They're spies; they've come to spy out the whole country."

4 The woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, two men did come to me, but I didn't know where they'd come from.

5 At dark, when the gate was about to be shut, the men left. But I have no idea where they went. Hurry up! Chase them - you can still catch them!"

6 (She had actually taken them up on the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that were spread out for her on the roof.)

7 So the men set chase down the Jordan road toward the fords. As soon as they were gone, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies were down for the night, the woman came up to them on the roof

9 and said, "I know that God has given you the land. We're all afraid. Everyone in the country feels hopeless.

10 We heard how God dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you put under a holy curse and destroyed.

11 We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below.

12 "Now promise me by God. I showed you mercy; now show my family mercy. And give me some tangible proof, a guarantee

13 of life for my father and mother, my brothers and sisters - everyone connected with my family. Save our souls from death!"

14 "Our lives for yours!" said the men. "But don't tell anyone our business. When God turns this land over to us, we'll do right by you in loyal mercy."

15 She lowered them down out a window with a rope because her house was on the city wall to the outside.

16 She told them, "Run for the hills so your pursuers won't find you. Hide out for three days and give your pursuers time to return. Then get on your way."

17 The men told her, "In order to keep this oath you made us swear,

18 here is what you must do: Hang this red rope out the window through which you let us down and gather your entire family with you in your house - father, mother, brothers, and sisters.

19 Anyone who goes out the doors of your house into the street and is killed, it's his own fault - we aren't responsible. But for everyone within the house we take full responsibility. If anyone lays a hand on one of them, it's our fault.

20 But if you tell anyone of our business here, the oath you made us swear is canceled - we're no longer responsible."

21 She said, "If that's what you say, that's the way it is," and sent them off. They left and she hung the red rope out the window.

22 They headed for the hills and stayed there for three days until the pursuers had returned. The pursuers had looked high and low but found nothing.

23 The men headed back. They came down out of the hills, crossed the river, and returned to Joshua son of Nun and reported all their experiences.

24 They told Joshua, "Yes! God has given the whole country to us. Everybody there is in a state of panic because of us."

New Century Version NCV

1 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out two spies from Acacia and said to them, "Go and look at the land, particularly at the city of Jericho." So the men went to Jericho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

2 Someone told the king of Jericho, "Some men from Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land."

3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house. They have come to spy out our whole land."

4 But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, "They did come here, but I didn't know where they came from.

5 In the evening, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don't know where they went, but if you go quickly, maybe you can catch them."

6 (The woman had taken the men up to the roofn and had hidden them there under stalks of flax that she had spread out.)

7 So the king's men went out looking for the spies on the road that leads to the crossings of the Jordan River. The city gate was closed just after the king's men left the city.

8 Before the spies went to sleep for the night, Rahab went up to the roof.

9 She said to them, "I know the Lord has given this land to your people. You frighten us very much. Everyone living in this land is terribly afraid of you

10 because we have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea when you came out of Egypt. We have heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, two Amorite kings who lived east of the Jordan.

11 When we heard this, we were very frightened. Now our men are afraid to fight you because the Lord your God rules the heavens above and the earth below!

12 So now, promise me before the Lord that you will show kindness to my family just as I showed kindness to you. Give me some proof that you will do this.

13 Allow my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all of their families to live. Save us from death."

14 The men agreed and said, "It will be our lives for your lives if you don't tell anyone what we are doing. When the Lord gives us the land, we will be kind and true to you."

15 The house Rahab lived in was built on the city wall, so she used a rope to let the men down through a window.

16 She said to them, "Go into the hills so the king's men will not find you. Hide there for three days. After the king's men return, you may go on your way."

17 The men said to her, "You must do as we say. If not, we cannot be responsible for keeping this oath you have made us swear.

18 When we return to this land, you must tie this red rope in the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your family into your house.

19 If anyone leaves your house and is killed, it is his own fault. We cannot be responsible for him. If anyone in your house is hurt, we will be responsible.

20 But if you tell anyone about this, we will be free from the oath you made us swear."

21 Rahab answered, "I agree to this." So she sent them away, and they left. Then she tied the red rope in the window.

22 The men left and went into the hills where they stayed for three days. The king's men looked for them all along the road, but after three days, they returned to the city without finding them.

23 Then the two men started back. They left the hills and crossed the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.

24 They said, "The Lord surely has given us all of the land. All the people in that land are terribly afraid of us."