¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried ·materials [loads] did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the other. ¹⁸ Each builder wore his sword at his side as he ·worked [built]. The trumpeter [^Cto signal an attack] stayed next to me.

¹⁹ Then I said to the ·important people [nobles], the ·leaders [officials], and everyone else, “This is ·a very big job [demanding work]. We are spread out along the wall so that we are far apart.