10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was (A)confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?[a] I will not go in.” 12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, (B)but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. 14 (C)Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also (D)the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 6:11 Or would go into the temple to save his life

10 Later I went to see Shemaiah, Delaiah’s son and Mehetabel’s grandson, who was confined to his house, and he said:

“Let’s meet together in God’s house,
    inside the temple itself.
Let’s shut the doors of the temple,
    for they are coming to kill you;
        they are coming to kill you tonight!”

11 But I replied, “Should someone like me run away? Who like me would go into the temple to save his life? I won’t go in!” 12 Then I realized that God hadn’t sent him at all but that he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired to frighten me and to make me sin by acting in this way. Then they could give me a bad name and discredit me. 14 My God, remember these deeds of Tobiah and Sanballat! Also remember Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to frighten me.

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