7 And also, prophets thou hast appointed to call for thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king [is] in Judah, and now it is heard by the king according to these words; and now come, and we take counsel together.'
8 And I send unto him, saying, `It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;'
9 for all of them are making us afraid, saying, `Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;' and now, strengthen Thou my hands.
10 And I have entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel--and he is restrained--and he saith, `Let us meet at the house of God, at the inside of the temple, and we shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming in to slay thee--yea, by night they are coming in to slay thee.'
11 And I say, `A man such as I--doth he flee? and who as I, that doth go in unto the temple, and live? --I do not go in.'
12 And I discern, and lo, God hath not sent him, for in the prophecy he hath spoken unto me both Tobiah and Sanballat hired him,
13 so that he [is] an hireling, that I may fear and do so, and I had sinned, and it had been to them for an evil name that they may reproach me.