Joshua 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men from Shittim as scouts. He told them, "Go look over the land — especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a woman named Rahab, who sold sex for a living, and they stayed there.

Someone told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelite men came here tonight to scout out the land."

So the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house. They're here to scout out the whole land."

But the woman had already hidden the two men. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I didn't know where they were from."

"When it was time to close the gate at dark, the men left. I don't know which direction they went. Go after them quickly — you can still catch them!"

But she had actually brought them up to the roof and hidden them under stalks of flax she had spread out there.

The king's men chased after them toward the Jordan River crossings, and as soon as the pursuers left, the city gate was shut behind them.

Before the scouts had gone to sleep, Rahab went up to them on the roof.

She told them, "I know that Yahweh has given you this land, and that everyone here is terrified of you. All the people living in this land are paralyzed with fear because of you."

"We've heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the Red Sea in front of you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan — Sihon and Og — whom you completely destroyed."

"When we heard about it, our hearts sank and no one had any courage left because of you. Yahweh your God — he is God in the heavens above and on the earth below."

"Now then, please swear to me by Yahweh — since I've shown you kindness — that you'll also show kindness to my father's family. Give me a reliable guarantee."

"Spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and everyone who belongs to them. Rescue us from death."

The men told her, "Our lives for yours — even to the point of death! If you don't give away what we're doing here, we'll treat you with faithfulness and kindness when Yahweh gives us this land."

Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window, because her house was built into the city wall itself — she lived right in the wall.

She told them, "Head for the hill country so the pursuers won't find you. Hide there for three days until they come back, and then go on your way."

The men said to her, "We'll be released from this oath you made us swear — "

" — unless, when we invade the land, you tie this scarlet cord in the window you used to lower us down, and you bring your father and mother, your brothers, and your father's whole family into your house."

"Anyone who goes outside the doors of your house into the street — their blood will be on their own head, and we'll be innocent. But anyone who stays inside the house with you — if anyone lays a hand on them, their blood will be on our head."

"But if you tell anyone what we're doing, then we're released from the oath you made us swear."

She agreed: "Let it be exactly as you've said." Then she sent them on their way, and after they left, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

They headed for the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers came back. The pursuers had searched the whole road but found nothing.

Then the two men came back down from the hill country, crossed the river, and went to Joshua son of Nun. They told him everything that had happened to them.

They told Joshua, "Yahweh has absolutely handed the entire land over to us. Everyone living there is paralyzed with fear because of us."