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 

[4:16]  ¹ tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.

[4:16]  ² tn Heb “all the house.”

[4:17]  ³ tn The first words of v. 17, “who were rebuilding the wall,” should be taken with the latter part of v. 16.

[4:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “were carrying loads.” The LXX reads ἐν ὅπλοις (en hoplois, “with weapons”).

[4:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “the one blowing the shophar.”

[4:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “much.”

[4:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”

[4:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “half of them.”

[4:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”