New American Standard Bible NAS
New International Version NIV
16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
16
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah
17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
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who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
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and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
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Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.
20 "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."
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Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
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So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.
22 At that time I also said to the people, "Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day."
22
At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.”
23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
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Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.