English Standard Version ESV
New International Version NIV
16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood 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 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
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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 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside 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 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread, 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 In the place where 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 labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
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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 I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor 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 nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
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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.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
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