Joshua Sends Out Spies

Optional titles:Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. Rahab helped men who serve the Lord.Rahab obeyed [followed / believed] the Lord even when nobody else did.

After Moses died, Joshua became the leader over the Israelites [tribes].

The Lord said to Joshua, “You will lead the Israelites across a river called Jordan into Canaan [Land]. This is the land that I promised to give to them!

“Do not be afraid [fearful / timid]! Be strong and courageous because I, [the Lord] will be with you everywhere you will go!”

Joshua chose two Israelite men whom he ordered to go observe [scout / spy / look at] Canaan [land] across the Jordan River.

He ordered them, “Also go into the town called Jericho, [to see how strong are its people and how strong are its walls.]”

When the two men entered into Jericho [town], they went to [stayed in] the house of a woman [prostitute] named Rahab [who was manager of an inn / guest house]. [Her house was built on a high wall that surrounded the town.]

Rahab protected the two men by hiding them under plant [flax] bundles that were drying in the sun [on the flat roof].

But someone saw the men and told [reported to] Jericho’s king, “Two Israelite men have come into our town, to spy on [see / observe] us [if we are strong or weak].”

So the king sent soldiers to Rahab. saying, “Men who came to spy on our town are staying at your house! Bring [Lead] those men to us!”

But Rahab lied to the soldiers, saying, “The men did not stay long. They left from here before sundown, before the town soldiers shut the town gates!

“If you chase after them, perhaps you will catch them!”So the king’s soldiers ran out of the town to search for the Israelite men.

At her [Rahab’s] house, Rahab said to the men, “The people in this town are afraid of you. And I know that the Lord has promised to give this land to you Israelites.

“We have heard how [that] the Lord made a path for you through a sea [very wide lake / big round water]! The Lord is the greatest God, and he rules over the sky and the earth!

“Please promise me that you will show mercy [kindness] to my family as I am showing mercy to you! Do not kill my family [relatives] when your soldiers will come here!”

The two men replied, “If you do not betray us, then we will show mercy to your family, when our soldiers will come to attack this town!”

The men promised, “Leave a red-colored rope in the window of your house! When our soldiers shall see the rope, they will not attack your house!

“When our soldiers shall attack this town, your family must stand inside your house. But if you betray us, then we will not have to keep our promise!”

Rahab agreed with the two men. Before sunrise, she helped them to escape from the town. They climbed [went] out through the window, [descending] down to the ground outside the town wall.

Rahab said to them, “Go to the hills [high land] and stay there for three days, so that the king’s soldiers will not find you!”

After the two Israelite men [spies] had gone, Rahab tied a red-colored rope in her house’s window, as the men had told her to do.

The two men went to the hills and stayed there for three days.

The king’s soldiers searched along the roads, but did not find the two men. On the third day, they went back to Jericho [city / town].

Then the spies went back to the Israelite camp [tents] across [on the other side of] the Jordan River. They reported [told] to Joshua all that they has seen and heard in Canaan Land.

They said, “The Lord will surely give to us all of Canaan [land], for all the people [who dwell / live] there are afraid of us!”