Nehemiah 4:14-19

Common English Bible

¹⁴ After reviewing this, I stood up and said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember that the Lord is great and awesome! Fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!”

¹⁵ Then our enemies heard that we had found out and that God had spoiled their plans. So we all returned to doing our own work on the wall. ¹⁶ But from that day on, only half of my workers continued in the construction, while the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Meanwhile, the leaders positioned themselves^[a] behind the whole house of Judah, ¹⁷ who were building the wall. The carriers did their work with a load in one hand and a weapon in the other. ¹⁸ The builders built with swords fastened in their belts, and the trumpeter stayed by my side.

¹⁹ Then I said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are far apart from each other along the wall.