Because of the sins of Judah, the Lord had not interposed to prevent the battle; but by the prophet Oded He rebuked the cruel design of the victorious army: "Ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord your God?" 2 Chronicles 28:10. Oded warned the people of Israel that the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and that their course of injustice and oppression would call down His judgments. Upon hearing these words, the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. Then certain leading men of the tribe of Ephraim "took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren." Verse 15.

Herren forhindrede ikke slaget, fordi Juda havde syndet, men han sendte profeten Oded hen for at irettesætte den sejrrige hær for dens onde planer: "Og nu tænker I på at få magten over folkene fra Juda og Jerusalem og gøre dem til eders trælle og trælkvinder! Har I da ikke også selv nok på samvittigheden over for Herren eders Gud!" 2Krøn. 28,10. Oded lod Israels folk forstå, at de havde pådraget sig Herrens glødende vrede, og at han ville straffe dem for deres uretfærdighed og grusomhed. Da krigerne hørte disse ord, gav de slip på fangerne og byttet i øversternes og hele forsamlingens påsyn. Derefter tog nogle af efraimitternes overhoveder "sig af fangerne, gav alle de nøgne iblandt dem klæder af byttet, forsynede dem med klæder og sko, gav dem mad og drikke, salvede dem, lod dem, der ikke kunne gå, ride på æsler og bragte dem til Jeriko, Palmestaden, hen i nærheden af deres brødre". 15. vers.