Joshua 2.1-24
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two spies secretly from Shittim, saying: “Go view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was reported to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent Rahab, saying: “Bring out the men who came to you, who entered your house, because they came to search out the whole land.”
But the woman took the two men, and hid them; she said: “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from; and at dark, as the gates were about to close, the men went away; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”
But she had taken them up to the roof, and hidden them with the stalks of flax which she had spread out there. So the men pursued them along the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers went out, the gate was shut. Before they lay down, she went up to them on the roof.
She said to the men: “I know that God has given you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land melt with terror because of you. For we heard how God dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, , when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage remaining in any man, because of you; for God your Lord. He is God in heaven above, and on the earth beneath. Now, therefore, please swear to me by God since I have shown you kindness, that you will also deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign, and spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
Then the men answered her: “Our lives for yours, If you do not tell of our mission, we will deal kindly and truly with you when God gives us the land.” Then she let them down by a cord through the window; for her house was on the side of the wall, so she dwelt in the wall.
She said to them: “Go to the mountains, or the pursuers will meet you; hide there three days, until the pursuers return, then you may go on your way.”
The men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath which you made us swear. Behold, when we come into this land, bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and bring into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. If anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent; but if a hand is raised against anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head, But if you tell of our mission, then we will be released from the oath, which you made us swear.”
She said: “Let it be according to your words.” She sent them away, and they departed; she fastened the scarlet cord in the window. They departed, and came to the mountains, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers searched for them all along the way, but did not find them. Then the two men descended from the mountains, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and told him all that had happened to them.
They said to Joshua: “Truly God has delivered the whole land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are scared to death of us.”