Nehemiah 6:6-13

6This is what the letter said: ‘To Nehemiah. Other nations have heard the news that you and the other Jews have decided to turn against the king. Geshem also says that this is true. This is why you are building the city's wall. People are saying that you want to rule the Jews as their king.

7You have chosen some prophets to speak your message in Jerusalem. You have told them to say, “There is now a king in Judah!” The king of Persia will surely hear this news. So we must meet together and talk about it.’

8I sent this reply: ‘What you say is not true. Nothing like that is happening. You are only speaking your own ideas.’

9All our enemies wanted to frighten us. They thought, ‘The Jews will be so afraid that they will not be able to work well. They will not finish building the wall.’ So I prayed to God, ‘Give me strength to continue the work.’

10One day I went to Shemaiah's house. He was the son of Delaiah, Mehetabel's son. He could not go out of his house. He said to me, ‘Meet me inside the temple of God. We will close the temple's doors. Our enemies are coming to kill you. One night soon, they will come to kill you.’

11But I said, ‘I am not a man who would run away to be safe. I will not go into the temple to save my life.’

12Then I realized that Shemaiah was not telling me a message from God. I knew that Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to say this to me.

13They wanted to frighten me so that I would hide in the temple. My enemies knew that this would be a sin. If I did that, I would be ashamed. People would no longer respect me.