1 Corinthians 12:21

¹Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly. ²Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. ³Now therefore let’s make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and those who are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. ⁴Arise, for the matter belongs to you and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.”

⁵Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore.

¹⁶From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. ¹⁷Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon. ¹⁸Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. ¹⁹I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. ²⁰Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

²¹So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

¹¹For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,

³²David said to Abigail, “Blessed is the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me!

³¹Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. ³²It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good the LORD does to us, we will do the same to you.”