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2. Rahab and the Spies

Spies Sent to Jericho

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Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim 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 there.²The king of Jericho was told, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land.”³Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land.”⁴But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.⁵And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them.”⁶She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof.⁷So the men pursued them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

⁸ Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof⁹and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you.¹⁰For we have heard how the Lord 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 that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.¹¹As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.¹²Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith¹³that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”¹⁴The men said to her, “Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the Lord gives us the land.”

¹⁵ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself.¹⁶She said to them, “Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way.”¹⁷The men said to her, “We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you¹⁸if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family.¹⁹If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death.²⁰But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us swear to you.”²¹She said, “According to your words, so be it.” She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.

²² They departed and went into the hill country and stayed there three days, until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the way and found nothing.²³Then the two men came down again from the hill country. They crossed over, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them.²⁴They said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us.”

11. Paul and False Apostles

⁷ Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news to you free of charge?⁸I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.⁹And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way.¹⁰As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.¹¹And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

¹² And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about.¹³For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.¹⁴And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.¹⁵So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.

22. Psalm 22

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Many bulls encircle me,

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

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they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14

I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15

my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

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For dogs are all around me;

a company of evildoers encircles me.

My hands and feet have shriveled;

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I can count all my bones.

They stare and gloat over me;

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they divide my clothes among themselves,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

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But you, O Lord, do not be far away!

O my help, come quickly to my aid!

20

Deliver my soul from the sword,

my life from the power of the dog!

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Save me from the mouth of the lion!

From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.

22

I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

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You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;

stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

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For he did not despise or abhor

the affliction of the afflicted;

he did not hide his face from me,

but heard when I cried to him.

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From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

26

The poor shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord.

May your hearts live forever!

27

All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord;

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before him.

28

For dominion belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

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To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

and I shall live for him.

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Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord,

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and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,

saying that he has done it.