12. When the Jews living near them came, they told us ten times, “From every place where you turn, they will be against us.”
13. Therefore I set guards at the lowest positions along the wall and just inside the wall at the unrepaired areas. I also stationed the people by families providing them individually their own swords, spears, and bows.
14. After I looked around, I stood up and said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “Stop being terrified because of them! Remember instead that the Lord is great and awesome. So fight for each other—and for your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15. Now when our enemies heard that this had become known to us and that God had brought their counsel to nothing, then we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16. After that day, half of my servants did the work while the other half handled the spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Commanders were appointed to support every house of Judah.
17. Those rebuilding the wall and those hauling the loads were working with one hand doing the task, but with the other hand holding the weapon.
18. For the builders, everyone had his sword bound to his side, even while rebuilding. The trumpet blower worked beside me.
19. I said to the nobles, the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “The work is vast and over a large area. Since we are spread along the wall far from each other,
20. assemble to us there at the place where you hear the trumpet sounded. Our God shall fight for us.”
21. So we labored in the work with half of them holding spears from sunrise to the rising of the stars.
22. Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Every man and his servant must lodge within Jerusalem. By night, they may be a guard to us; by day, a laborer for the work.”
23. So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.