Parallel Bible results for "joshua 2"

Joshua 2

New Revised Standard NRS

1 Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land."

3 Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land."

4 But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.

5 And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them."

6 She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.

7 So the men pursued them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof

9 and said to the men: "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you.

10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

11 As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.

12 Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith

13 that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."

14 The men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land."

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself.

16 She said to them, "Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way."

17 The men said to her, "We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you

18 if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family.

19 If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death.

20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us swear to you."

21 She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.

22 They departed and went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the way and found nothing.

23 Then the two men came down again from the hill country. They crossed over, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them.

24 They said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us."

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."