Rahab and the Spies

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies^(A) from Shittim.^(B) “Go, look over^(C) the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.^(D)” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab^(E) and stayed there.

⁹ and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear^(A) of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up^(B) the water of the Red Sea^[a] for you when you came out of Egypt,^(C) and what you did to Sihon and Og,^(D) the two kings of the Amorites^(E) east of the Jordan,^(F) whom you completely destroyed.^{[b](G) 11} When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear^(H) and everyone’s courage failed^(I) because of you,^(J) for the Lord your God^(K) is God in heaven above and on the earth^(L) below.

¹² “Now then, please swear to me^(M) by the Lord that you will show kindness^(N) to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign^{(O) 13} that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them^(P)—and that you will save us from death.”

¹⁴ “Our lives for your lives!”^(Q) the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully^(R) when the Lord gives us the land.”

²² Joshua said to the two men^(A) who had spied out^(B) the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.^(C)” ²³ So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.^(D) They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then they burned the whole city^(E) and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron^(F) into the treasury of the Lord’s house.^{(G) 25} But Joshua spared^(H) Rahab the prostitute,^(I) with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho^(J)—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?^(A)