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.