¹⁵ And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. ¹⁶ And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind ^[a]all the house of Judah. ¹⁷ They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon; ¹⁸ and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. ¹⁹ And I said unto the nobles, and to the ^[b]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 what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.

²¹ So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. ²² Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day. ²³ So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, ^[c]every one went with his weapon to the water.