¹⁸ The builders, to a man, had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter^[a] remained with me.

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