4. They contacted me four times in this way, and I responded the same way each time.
5. The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand.
6. Written in it were the following words: “Among the nations it is rumored (and Geshem has substantiated this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors you are going to become their king.
7. You have also established prophets to announce in Jerusalem on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah!’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on! Let’s talk about this.”
8. I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing. All of this is a figment of your imagination.”
9. All of them were wanting to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.” So now, strengthen my hands!
10. Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home. He said, “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”
11. But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life? I will not go!”
12. I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat.
13. He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I would be discredited.