Spies View the Land

2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men from Acacia Grove^[a] as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night^[b] there.

³ And the king of Jericho sent for Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who came to you, the ones who have entered your house, for they have come to search out the whole land.”

¹⁷ The city and all that is in it will be devoted to Yahweh; only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ As for you, keep away from the things^[a] devoted to destruction so that you do not take them and bring about your own destruction, making the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it. ¹⁹ But all of the silver and gold, and the items of bronze and iron, are holy to Yahweh, and they must go to Yahweh’s treasury.” ²⁰ So the people shouted, and they^[b] blew on the trumpets. And when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell flat. The people charged, each one straight ahead into the city,^[c] and they captured it. ²¹ And they utterly destroyed by the edge of the sword^[d] all who were in the city, both men and women, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey.

²² Then Joshua said to the two men who spied on the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, just as you swore to her.” ²³ So the young men who were spies went and brought Rahab and her father and mother, her brothers, and all who were with her. And they brought all her family out and set them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴ And they burned the city and all that was in it with fire; they put only the silver and gold, and the items of copper and iron, into the treasury of the house of Yahweh. ²⁵ But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her family^[e] and all who were with her, and she has lived in the midst of Israel until this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

⁵ and Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed became the father of Jesse,

³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she^[a] welcomed the spies in peace.

²⁵ And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she^[a] welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?