Nehemiah 4:16-21

4:16 From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, ¹  shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people ²  of Judah 4:17 who were rebuilding the wall. ³  Those who were carrying loads did so ⁴  by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon. 4:18 The builders to a man had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter ⁵  remained with me.

4:19 I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is demanding ⁶  and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, far removed from one another. 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!”

4:21 So we worked on, ⁷  with half ⁸  holding spears, from dawn till dusk. ⁹ 

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¹ tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

² tn Heb “all the house.”

³ tn The first words of v. 17, “who were rebuilding the wall,” should be taken with the latter part of v. 16.

⁴ tn Heb “were carrying loads.” The LXX reads ἐν ὅπλοις (en hoplois, “with weapons”).

⁵ tn Heb “the one blowing the shophar.”

⁶ tn Heb “much.”

⁷ tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”

⁸ tn Heb “half of them.”

⁹ tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”