1嫩的兒子約書亞暗中從什亭派出兩個探子去偵察對岸,特別是耶利哥的情況。他們來到一個名叫喇合的妓女家中,就住在那裡。2有人告訴耶利哥王說:「今天晚上有以色列人來這裡刺探。」3耶利哥王便派人到喇合那裡,對她說:「把來到你家裡的人交出來,因為他們是來刺探我們的。」4但喇合已經把二人藏起來了,她答道:「不錯,他們來過,可是我不知他們是從哪裡來的。5天黑要關閉城門的時候,他們就離開了,我不知道他們去了哪裡。你們快去追吧,還可以追得上。」6其實喇合已經把二人帶到屋頂上,藏在那裡的麻稈堆裡了。7搜查的人便沿著通往約旦河渡口的路追去,他們一出城,城門便關閉了。8在兩個探子睡覺前,喇合上到屋頂對他們說:9「我知道耶和華已經把這地方賜給你們,我們十分害怕。這裡所有的居民都嚇得膽戰心驚。10因為你們離開埃及過紅海的時候,耶和華怎樣使紅海在你們面前成為乾地,你們怎樣對付約旦河東的兩個亞摩利王西宏和噩,怎樣把他們徹底消滅,我們都聽說了。11我們聽了這些事,感到心驚膽戰、勇氣盡失。你們的上帝耶和華是天地萬物的上帝。12我既然恩待了你們,現在請你們憑耶和華向我起誓,你們也照樣恩待我家,並且給我一個可靠的憑據,13保證讓我的父母、兄弟、姐妹和他們所有的親人免於一死。」14二人便對她說:「如果你不洩露我們的事,我們願意用性命擔保,當耶和華把這地方賜給我們的時候,我們一定守信善待你。」15喇合的房子就在城牆邊,她就住在城牆上,於是她用繩子把二人從窗口縋下去,16並對他們說:「你們往山上去,免得被追捕的人發現。你們要在那裡躲三天,等追捕的人回城以後才可以走。」17二人對她說:「要讓我們信守誓言,你必須這樣做,18我們來攻佔這座城的時候,你要把這條朱紅色的繩子繫在縋我們下去的窗戶上,並且把你的父母、兄弟、姊妹和他們的親人都召集到你家裡。19倘若有人因離開這房子跑到街上而遭遇不測,我們不負任何責任。我們一定保證屋內所有人的性命安全。20如果你洩露我們的事,你要我們起的誓也就作廢了。」21喇合答道:「一言為定!」於是她送走他們,把朱紅色的繩子繫在窗戶上。22二人到山上躲藏了三天,等待追捕的人回去。追捕的人沿途搜索,毫無所獲,便回去了。23二人便下山,過河回到嫩的兒子約書亞那裡,向他稟告整個經過,24又說:「耶和華確實將那整片土地交給我們了,那裡的居民聽到我們的消息,都嚇得膽戰心驚。」
English Standard Version
Rahab Hides the Spies
1And Joshua the son of Nun sent* two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.2And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.”3Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”4But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.5And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”6But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.7So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.8Before the men* lay down, she came up to them on the roof9and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.10For 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 who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.*11And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.12Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign13that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”14And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”15Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.16And she said* to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.”17The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear.18Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household.19Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.20But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.”21And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.22They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.23Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them.24And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”
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