11. Those building the wall and those bearing heavy burdens kept one hand on the work and the other holding a weapon.
12. So each of the builders had his sword strapped to his side while they were building, and the shofar blower was beside me.
13. Then I said to the nobles, the rulers and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from one another on the wall.
14. Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
15. So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from dawn until the stars came out.
16. Also at that time I said to the people, “Let every man and his helper lodge inside Jerusalem, so they can be guards for us by night and workers by day.”
17. So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my workers, nor the guards who were with me took off our clothes; each man even had his weapon at the water.