11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying: "Before they know or see anything, we can be in their midst and start to kill them. We’ll stop the work!"
12 Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again, "You must return to us!"
13 So I took up a position in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall in an open area. Then I stationed the people by families, and they had their swords, spears, and bows.
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 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.