Joshua 2:5

Bible in Basic English

And when it was the time for shutting the doors at dark, they went out; I have no idea where the men went: but if you go after them quickly, you will overtake them.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!”

Hebrew Names Version
and it happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went I don't know: pursue after them quickly; for you will overtake them.

King James Version
And 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.

Lexham English Bible
And when it was time to shut the gate for the night, the men left, and I do not know where they went. Chase after them quickly, for you may catch up to them."

English Standard Version
And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

New Century Version
In the evening, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don't know where they went, but if you go quickly, maybe you can catch them."

New English Translation
When it was time to shut the city gate for the night, the men left. I don't know where they were heading. Chase after them quickly, for you have time to catch them!"

Amplified Bible
"When it was time to close the [city] gate at dark, the men left; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for [if you do] you will overtake them."

New American Standard Bible
"It came about, when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when they shut the gate in the darke, the men went out, whither the men went I wote not: followe ye after them quickly, for ye shall ouertake them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them."

Complete Jewish Bible
The men left around the time when they shut the gate, when it was dark. Where they went I don't know; but if you chase after them quickly, you will overtake them."

Darby Translation
and it came to pass when the gate had to be closed, at dark, that the men went out: I know not whither the men have gone. Pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

Easy-to-Read Version
In the evening, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know where they went. But if you go quickly, maybe you can catch them."

George Lamsa Translation
And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, they went out; and I did not know where they went. Pursue them quickly; for you will overtake them.

Literal Translation
And it happened as the gate was to be shut at dark, even the men went out. I do not know where they have gone. You go after them, and hurry, for you may overtake them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And at the shuttinge in of the gate whan it was darcke, they wente out, so yt I can not tell whither they be gone: folowe soone after them, for ye shal ouertake them.

American Standard Version
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And about the time of the shutting of the gate when it was darke, the men went out, whyther the men went I wote not: folowe ye after them quickly, for ye shall ouertake them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I know not; pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.'

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was darke, that the men went out: whither the men went, I wote not: pursue after them quickely, for ye shall ouertake them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
but when the gate was shut in the evening, the men went out; I know not whither they are gone: follow after them, if ye may overtake them.

English Revised Version
and it came to pass about the time of the 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.

Berean Standard Bible
At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whanne the yate was closid in derknessis, and thei yeden out to gidire, Y noot whidur thei yeden; pursue ye soone, and ye schulen take hem.

Young's Literal Translation
and it cometh to pass -- the gate is to [be] shut -- in the dark, and the men have gone out; I have not known whither the men have gone; pursue ye, hasten after them, for ye overtake them;'

Update Bible Version
and it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went I don't know: pursue after them quickly; for you will overtake them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went, I know not: pursue after them quickly; for ye will overtake them.

World English Bible
and it happened about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went I don't know: pursue after them quickly; for you will overtake them.

New King James Version
And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them."

New Living Translation
They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them."

New Life Bible
When it was time for the gate to be shut after dark, the men went out. I do not know where they went. Be quick to go after them, for you will catch them."

New Revised Standard
And 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."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and it came to pass, as the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that, the men, went out, I know not whither the men went, - pursue them quickly for ye shall overtake them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And at the time of shutting the gate in the dark, they also went out together. I know not whither they are gone: pursue after them quickly, and you will overtake them.

Revised Standard Version
and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

Contextual Overview

¹ Then Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men from Shittim secretly, with the purpose of searching out the land, and Jericho. So they went and came to the house of a loose woman of the town, named Rahab, where they took their rest for the night. ² And it was said to the king of Jericho, See, some men have come here tonight from the children of Israel with the purpose of searching out the land. ³ Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Send out the men who have come to you and are in your house; for they have come with the purpose of searching out all the land. ⁴ And the woman took the two men and put them in a secret place; then she said, Yes, the men came to me, but I had no idea where they came from; ⁵ And when it was the time for shutting the doors at dark, they went out; I have no idea where the men went: but if you go after them quickly, you will overtake them. ⁶ But she had taken them up to the roof, covering them with the stems of flax which she had put out in order there. ⁷ So the men went after them on the road to Jordan as far as the river-crossing: and when they had gone out after them, the door into the town was shut.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of shutting: Joshua 2:7, Nehemiah 13:19, Isaiah 60:11, Ezekiel 47:1, Ezekiel 47:2, Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 21:25

the men went out: Jeremiah 50:20, Romans 3:7, Romans 3:8

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 19:14 - she said 2 Samuel 17:20 - They be gone

Cross-References

Genesis 2:9
And out of the earth the Lord made every tree to come, delighting the eye and good for food; and in the middle of the garden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is Pishon, which goes round about all the land of Havilah where there is gold.

Genesis 2:12
And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to be a worker on the earth from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:2
Then again she became with child and gave birth to Abel, his brother. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a farmer.

Genesis 4:12
No longer will the earth give you her fruit as the reward of your work; you will be a wanderer in flight over the earth.

Job 5:10
Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:

Psalms 104:14
He makes the grass come up for the cattle, and plants for the use of man; so that bread may come out of the earth;

Psalms 135:7
He makes the mists go up from the ends of the earth; he makes thunder-flames for the rain; he sends out the winds from his store-houses.

Jeremiah 14:22
Are any of the false gods of the nations able to make rain come? are the heavens able to give showers? are you not he, O Lord our God? so we will go on waiting for you, for you have done all these things.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, [about the time] of the shutting of the gate,.... Of the city, which was done every night, and at a certain time:

when it was dark; the sun set, and night come on:

that the men went out; out of her house, and out of the city too, as she said, though it was a downright lie, as well as what follows:

whither the men went I wot not; though she knew they were not gone, but were now in her house; she might not scruple telling a lie, being brought up a Heathen, and being done with a design to save the lives of persons that belonged to a people she was persuaded were the people of God, and to whom he had given the land; though her lies are not to be justified; evil is not to be done that good may come; nor are men to tell lies one to another upon any account; but these sins, with others, the Lord forgave her:

pursue after them quickly, and ye shall overtake them; this she encouraged them to do, to get rid of them the sooner, and to remove all suspicion of her having any respect for them, and of being concerned in concealing them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 2:5. When it was dark — So it appears that it was after night that the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, ordering her to produce the persons who lodged with her. The season itself was friendly to the whole plot: had these transactions taken place in daylight, it is scarcely possible that the spies could have escaped. But this is no excuse for the woman's prevarication, for God could have saved his messengers independently of her falsity. God never says to any, Do evil that good may come of it. See at the end of the chapter (Joshua 2:24).