Nehemiah 4:15

The enemies of the *Jews heard that Nehemiah and the people knew about their plan. So their plan could not succeed. They failed because God was helping the *Jews. He had stopped the plans of Sanballat and his friends.

The *Jews were able to continue with the work. But they still needed to be ready. Their enemies might come to attack them at any time.

v16-17 From that time, half of my men worked. But the other half were ready to fight with *spears, *shields, and bows. And those men were wearing special clothes that would protect them during a battle. The officers stood behind all the people of *Judah who were building the wall. The people who carried materials supported their loads with one hand. And they held a *weapon in their other hand. v18 Each of the builders wore his sword by his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the *trumpet stayed with me.

v19 Then I spoke to the chief men, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, ‘There is much work to do and the work spreads over a very large area. We are working a long way from each other along the wall. v20 Wherever you hear the sound of the *trumpet, come to us there. Our God will fight for us!’