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13 Therefore set I the people after their kinredes, with their swordes, speares, and bowes, beneath in the lowe places behinde the wall vpon the toppes of the stones. 14 And I loked, and gat me vp, and sayde vnto the chiefe men, to the rulers, and to the other people, Be not ye afrayde of them: but thinke rather vpon the great Lorde whiche ought to be feared, and fight for your brethre, your sonnes, your daughters, your wiues, & your houses. 15 Neuerthelesse, when our enemies heard that we had gotten worde of it, God brought their counsell to naught: and we turned all againe to the wall, euery one vnto his labour. 16 And from that time foorth, the halfe part of the young men dyd the labour, and the other halfe part of them helde the speares, shieldes, bowes, and brestplates: and the rulers stoode behinde all the house of Iuda. 17 They which buylded on the wall and they that bare burthens, and those that laded them, with one hande did euery one his worke, and with the other helde his weapon. 18 For euery one that buylded had his sword girded by his thingh, and so buylded they: And he that blewe the trumpet was beside me. 19 And I saide vnto the principall men, to the rulers, and to the other people: The worke is great and large, & we are seperated vpon the wall one farre from another. 20 Loke in what place therefore ye heare the noyse of the trumpet, resort ye thither vnto vs, and our God shall fight for vs: 21 And we wil be labouring in the worke. And the halfe part of them helde their speares from the morning spring, tyll the starres came foorth. 22 And at the same time saide I vnto the people: Let euery one with his seruaut lodge within Hierusalem, that in the night season we may watch, and labour on the day time. 23 As for me and my brethren, my seruauntes, and the men of the watch which folowed me, we put neuer of our clothes, saue onely because of the wasshing. Nehemiah 4:13-23, Bishops' Bible of 1568. Public domain.
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