And 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. And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold,
men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then
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.” But 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. And 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.” But 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. So 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.

  Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and 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. 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 who were beyond
the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And
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. Now 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 sign
that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and
sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from
death.” And 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.”

  Then 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.
And 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.” The men said to her,
“We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you
have made us swear. Behold, 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. Then 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. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be
guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.”
And 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.

  They 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. Then 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. And 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.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.