16. And it came to pass from that time forth that half of the young men wrought in the work, and the other half of them held spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the princes were behind all the house of Judah.
17. Those that built on the wall and those that bore burdens and those that laded wrought with one hand in the work and with the other held a weapon.
18. For the builders, each one had his sword girded by his side, and so they built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me.
19. And I said unto the principals and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20. In whatever place that you hear the voice of the shofar, join us there; our God shall fight for us.
21. So we laboured in the work, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let each one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that by night they may be a guard to us, and labour by day.
23. So neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, each one put them off only for washing.