HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 565
JOSHUA 3
page 195
Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the
house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed
there that night.
2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some
Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the
land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to
Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into
your house, for they have come here to spy out
the whole land.”
4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she
replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I
didn’t know where they were from. 5 They left
the town at dusk, as the gates were about to
close. I don’t know where they went. If you
hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”
6 (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof
and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she
had laid out.) 7 So the king’s men went looking
for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon
as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho
was shut.
8 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. 9 “I
know the Lord has given you this land,” she
told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in
the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard
how the Lord made a dry path for you through
the Red Sea* when you left Egypt. And we know
what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite
kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you
completely destroyed.* 11 No wonder our hearts
have melted in fear! No one has the courage to
fight after hearing such things. For the Lord
your God is the supreme God of the heavens
above and the earth below.
12 “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will
be kind to me and my family since I have helped
you. Give me some guarantee that 13 when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along
with my father and mother, my brothers and
sisters, and all their families.”
14 “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for
your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to
you when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into
the town wall, she let them down by a rope
through the window. 16 “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days
from the men searching for you. Then, when
they have returned, you can go on your way.”
17 Before they left, the men told her, “We will
be bound by the oath we have taken only if you
follow these instructions. 18 When we come into
the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us
2:10a Hebrew sea of reeds. 2:10b The Hebrew term used
here refers to the complete consecration of things or people
to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as
an offering. 3:1 Hebrew Shittim. 3:4 Hebrew about 2,000
cubits [920 meters].
down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—
must be here inside the house. 19 If they go out
into the street and are killed, it will not be our
fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside
this house, we will accept the responsibility for
their death. 20 If you betray us, however, we are
not bound by this oath in any way.”
21 “I accept your terms,” she replied. And she
sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope
hanging from the window.
22 The spies went up into the hill country and
stayed there three days. The men who were
chasing them searched everywhere along the
road, but they finally returned without success.
23 Then the two spies came down from the hill
country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported
to Joshua all that had happened to them. 24 “The
Lord has given us the whole land,” they said,
“for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”
— promises —
from God
“Be strong and
courageous! Do not be
afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is
with you wherever you go.”
JO S H UA 1:9
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
Early the next morning Joshua and all the
Israelites left Acacia Grove* and arrived
at the banks of the Jordan River, where they
camped before crossing. 2 Three days later the
Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: “When you
see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the
Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from
your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have
never traveled this way before, they will guide
you. Stay about half a mile* behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark.
Make sure you don’t come any closer.”
5 Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great
wonders among you.”
6 In the morning Joshua said to the priests,
“Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the
people across the river.” And so they started out
and went ahead of the people.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to
make you a great leader in the eyes of all the
Israelites. They will know that I am with you,
just as I was with Moses. 8 Give this command to
3