Nagpadala si Josue ng mga Espiya sa Jerico
1Pagkatapos, lihim na nagpadala si Josue ng dalawang tao mula sa kampo ng mga Israelita sa Shitim para mag-espiya sa lupain ng Canaan, lalung-lalo na sa lungsod ng Jerico. Nang makarating ang dalawang espiya sa Jerico, nakituloy sila sa bahay ni Rahab na isang babaeng bayaran.
2Nabalitaan ng hari ng Jerico na may dumating na mga Israelita nang gabing iyon para mag-espiya sa kanila. 3Kaya nagpadala ng mensahe ang hari kay Rahab, na sinasabi: “Palabasin mo ang mga taong nakituloy sa bahay mo, dahil nandito sila para mag-espiya sa lupain natin.”
4-6Sinabi ni Rahab, “Totoo pong may mga taong nakituloy dito, pero hindi ko po alam kung taga saan sila. Umalis sila nang madilim na at pasara na ang pintuan ng lungsod. Hindi ko alam kung saan sila pupunta, pero kung susundan nʼyo agad sila, maaabutan nʼyo pa sila.” (Pero ang totoo, itinago ni Rahab ang dalawang espiya sa bubong ng bahay niya at tinakpan niya sila ng mga pinagputol-putol na halaman na ginagawang telang linen na pinapatuyo niya roon.)
Umalis ang mga tauhan ng hari para habulin ang dalawang espiya. 7Paglabas nila sa lungsod, isinara agad ang pintuan nito. Sa paghabol nila nakarating sila hanggang sa tawiran ng Ilog ng Jordan.
8Bago matulog ang dalawang espiya, umakyat si Rahab sa bubong at 9sinabi sa kanila, “Alam kong ibinigay sa inyo ng Panginoon ang lupaing ito at labis ang pagkatakot ng mga tao rito sa inyo. 10Nabalitaan namin kung paano pinatuyo ng Panginoon ang Dagat na Pula nang lumabas kayo sa Egipto. Nabalitaan din namin kung paano nʼyo pinatay ang dalawang hari ng mga Amoreo na sina Sihon at Og, sa silangan ng Jordan. 11Natakot kami nang mabalitaan namin ito at naduwag ang bawat isa sa amin dahil sa inyo. Sapagkat ang Panginoon na inyong Dios ay siyang Dios sa langit at sa lupa. 12Kaya ngayon, ipangako nʼyo sa pangalan ng Panginoon na tutulungan nʼyo ang pamilya ko gaya ng pagtulong ko sa inyo. Bigyan nʼyo ako ng patunay 13na hindi nʼyo papatayin ang mga magulang ko, mga kapatid ko at ang buo nilang sambahayan.”
14Sinabi ng dalawang espiya kay Rahab, “Itataya namin ang buhay namin para sa inyo! Huwag mo lang ipagsasabi ang pag-espiya namin dito, hindi ka namin gagalawin kapag ibinigay na ng Panginoon ang lupaing ito sa amin.”
15Si Rahab ay nakatira sa bahay na nasa pader ng lungsod, kaya tinulungan niya ang dalawang espiya na makababa sa bintana gamit ang lubid. 16Sinabi ni Rahab sa kanila, “Pumunta kayo sa kabundukan para hindi kayo makita ng mga humahabol sa inyo. Magtago kayo roon sa loob ng tatlong araw hanggang makabalik sila rito. Pagkatapos, maaari na kayong umuwi.”
17Sinabi ng dalawang espiya kay Rahab, “Tutuparin namin ang ipinangako namin sa iyo, 18pero kailangang gawin mo rin ito: Kapag nilusob na namin ang lupain nʼyo, itali mo ang pulang lubid na ito sa bintanang binabaan namin. Tipunin mo sa bahay mo ang mga magulang mo, mga kapatid mo at ang buo nilang sambahayan. 19Kung may isang lalabas at pupunta sa daan, hindi na namin pananagutan kapag namatay siya. Pero may pananagutan kami kapag may namatay sa loob ng bahay mo. 20Pero kung ipagsasabi mo ang mga ginagawa namin, hindi namin tutuparin ang ipinangako namin sa iyo.” 21Sumagot si Rahab, “Oo, payag ako.” Pagkatapos, pinaalis sila ni Rahab, at itinali niya agad ang pulang lubid sa bintana.
22Nang makaalis na ang dalawang espiya, pumunta sila sa kabundukan. Doon sila nagtago sa loob ng tatlong araw habang hinahanap sila ng mga tauhan ng hari sa mga daanan. Hindi sila nakita, kaya umuwi na lang ang mga tauhan ng hari. 23Bumaba ng kabundukan ang dalawang espiya, at tumawid sa ilog at bumalik kay Josue. Ikinuwento nila kay Josue ang lahat ng nangyari. 24Sinabi nila, “Totoong ibinibigay ng Panginoon ang buong lupain sa atin. Ang mga tao roon ay takot na takot sa atin.”
1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.2.1 sent: or, had sent2.1 lodged: Heb. lay 2And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 6But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
8¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.2.9 faint: Heb. melt 10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.2.11 did there…: Heb. rose up 12Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 14And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.2.14 for…: Heb. instead of you to die 15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.2.18 bring: Heb. gather 19And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. 20And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 21And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
23¶ So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: 24And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.2.24 faint: Heb. melt
