Izlūki Jērikā
(Ebr 11:31)1 Tad Jozua, Nūna dēls, no Šitīmas zemes slepeni sūtīja izlūkos divus vīrus un teica viņiem: “Ejiet un apskatiet gan to zemi, gan Jēriku!” Tie gāja un nonāca kādas maukas mājā – viņu sauca Rāhāba –, un viņi tur apmetās. 2 Kāds pastāstīja Jērikas ķēniņam: “Redzi, šonakt kādi no Israēla dēliem ir atnākuši izlūkot zemi.” 3 Un Jērikas ķēniņš sūtīja pie Rāhābas, sacīdams: “Izdod tos vīrus, kas atnākuši pie tevis un ir tavā namā, jo tie atnākuši izlūkot visu zemi!” 4 Bet tā sieva noslēpa abus vīrus un sacīja: “Tiešām, šie vīri bija pie manis atnākuši, bet es nezināju, no kurienes viņi ir! 5 Un, kad slēdza vārtus, bija jau tumšs, tie vīri devās prom – es nezinu, kurp tie vīri aizgāja. Dzenieties ātri pakaļ, tad jūs viņus panāksiet!” 6 Bet viņa tos bija uzvedusi uz jumta un paslēpusi starp linu kūļiem, kas tai bija izlikti uz jumta. 7 Vīri dzinās viņiem pakaļ uz Jardānas pusi līdz pat braslam, bet vārti tika aizslēgti, tiklīdz vajātāji bija devušies tiem pakaļ. 8 Pirms vēl tie bija likušies gulēt, viņa uzkāpa uz jumta 9 un teica tiem: “Es zinu, ka Kungs jums ir atdevis šo zemi. Mūs ir pārņēmušas bailes no jums, un visi, kas mīt šajā zemē, ļimst jūsu priekšā. 10 Mēs esam dzirdējuši, kā Kungs jūsu priekšā licis izsīkt Niedru jūras ūdeņiem, kad jūs devāties projām no Ēģiptes, un ko jūs esat izdarījuši ar abiem amoriešu ķēniņiem, kas bija viņpus Jardānas, ar Sīhonu un Ogu, – jūs tos pagalam iznīdējāt! 11 Tiklīdz mēs to izdzirdējām, tā mūsu sirdis pamira un visiem noplaka dūša jūsu dēļ, jo Kungs, jūsu Dievs, ir Dievs augšā debesīs un apakšā uz zemes! 12 Un tagad zvēriet man pie Kunga – es esmu darījusi jums labu, tad nu arī jūs dariet labu mana tēva namam – dodiet man drošu zīmi! 13 Atstājiet dzīvus manu tēvu un māti, manus brāļus un māsas, un visu, kas tiem, – glābiet mūsu dvēseles no nāves!” 14 Un vīri viņai teica: “Dodam savas dvēseles par jūsējām, ja neviens no jums neko nestāstīs! Kad Kungs dos mums šo zemi, tad mēs izrādīsim jums laipnību un turēsim vārdu!” 15 Tad viņa nolaida tos ar virvi pa logu, jo viņas nams bija iebūvēts pilsētas mūrī, tur viņa dzīvoja. 16 Un viņa tiem sacīja: “Dodieties kalnos, ka nesastopaties ar vajātājiem! Slēpieties tur trīs dienas, kamēr vajātāji būs atpakaļ, tad varat iet savu ceļu!” 17 Vīri viņai teica: “Lai uz mums negulstas vaina par šo zvērestu, ko tev devām! 18 Redzi, kad mēs nāksim ieņemt šo zemi, izkar pa logu sarkano virvi, ar ko tu mūs nolaidi lejā, un sapulcini pie sevis namā savu tēvu, māti, brāļus un visu sava tēva dzimtu. 19 Ikviens, kas dosies laukā pa tava nama durvīm, – tā asinis lai nāk pār viņa paša galvu, bet mēs būsim bez vainas, taču ikviens, kas paliks namā kopā ar tevi, – tā asinis lai nāk pār mūsu galvu, ja kāds viņam ko nodarīs. 20 Bet, ja tu kādam to pastāstīsi, tad mums nav vainas par šo zvērestu, ko tu liki mums zvērēt.” 21 Un viņa sacīja: “Lai ir, kā jūs teicāt!” Tad viņa ļāva tiem iet, tie devās projām, un viņa izkāra pa logu sarkanu virvi.
22 Viņi devās projām, gāja uz kalniem un palika tur trīs dienas, līdz vajātāji bija atgriezušies atpakaļ. Vajātāji bija tos meklējuši visu ceļu, bet nebija atraduši. 23 Abi vīri devās atpakaļ, nokāpa no kalniem, cēlās pāri un gāja pie Jozuas, Nūna dēla, un pastāstīja viņam visu, kas bija noticis. 24 Un viņi teica Jozuam: “Tiešām, Kungs ir atdevis mums visu to zemi, visi, kas mīt tajā zemē, ļimst mūsu priekšā!”
Rahab Helps the Israelite Spies
1 Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: “Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.”
The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.
2 But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.” 3-7 So the king sent soldiers to Rahab's house to arrest the spies.
Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry.
The soldiers came to her door and demanded, “Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.”
She answered, “Some men did come to my house, but I didn't know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don't know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them.”
The guards at the town gate let the soldiers leave Jericho, but they closed the gate again as soon as the soldiers went through. Then the soldiers headed toward the Jordan River to look for the spies at the place where people cross the river.
8 Rahab went back up to her roof. The spies were still awake, so she told them:
9 I know that the Lord has given Israel this land. Everyone shakes with fear because of you. 10 We heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea so you could leave Egypt. And we heard how you destroyed Sihon and Og, those two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. 11 We know that the Lord your God rules heaven and earth, and we've lost our courage and our will to fight.
12 Please promise me in the Lord's name that you will be as kind to my family as I have been to you. Do something to show 13 that you won't let your people kill my father and mother and my brothers and sisters and their families.
14 “Rahab,” the spies answered, “if you keep quiet about what we're doing, we promise to be kind to you when the Lord gives us this land. We pray that the Lord will kill us if we don't keep our promise!”
15 Rahab's house was built into the town wall, and one of the windows in her house faced outside the wall. She gave the spies a rope, showed them the window, and said, “Use this rope to let yourselves down to the ground outside the wall. 16 Then hide in the hills. The men who are looking for you won't be able to find you there. They'll give up and come back after a few days, and you can be on your way.”
17-20 The spies said:
You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault.
21 “I'll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.
22 The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king's soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho, 23 the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened. 24 “We're sure the Lord has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”
