So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them. Keep in mind Jehovah who is great and greatly to be feared. Take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses. When our enemies heard that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work. read more.
From that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal wardresses. The leaders were in back of the men of Judah. Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part. Everyone worked with one hand and with his spear in the other. Every builder was working with his sword at his side. By my side was a man for sounding the warning horn. I said to the leaders and the rest of the people: The work is extensive and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall. Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us. Our God will fight for us.

I got up in the night and took a small band of men with me. I said nothing to any man of what God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem, I had no beast with me but the one on which I was seated. I went in the dark through the gateway of the valley past the Fountain of the Snake (Serpent's Well) as far as the place where waste material was stored. From there I viewed the broken down walls of Jerusalem and the gateways that were burned with fire. Then I went on to the door of the fountain and to the king's pool: but there was no room for my beast to get through. read more.
Then in the night I went up by the stream, viewed the wall and then turned back. I went in by the valley gate. The chiefs had no knowledge of where I had been or what I was doing. I had not then said anything to the Jews or to the priests or the great ones or the chiefs or the rest of those who were doing the work.

So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them. Keep in mind Jehovah who is great and greatly to be feared. Take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses. When our enemies heard that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work. read more.
From that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal wardresses. The leaders were in back of the men of Judah. Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part. Everyone worked with one hand and with his spear in the other. Every builder was working with his sword at his side. By my side was a man for sounding the warning horn. I said to the leaders and the rest of the people: The work is extensive and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall. Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us. Our God will fight for us. So we went on with the work. Half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen. At the same time I said to the people: Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night. At night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day. Not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, changed clothes. Everyone went armed to the water.