Nehemiah 6:6–13

⁶Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and ^||Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think ^dto rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. ⁷And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. ⁸Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou ^efeignest them out of thine own heart. ⁹For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, ^fO God, strengthen my hands. ¹⁰Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was ^gshut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. ¹¹And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. ¹²And, lo, I perceived ^hthat God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might ⁱreproach me.