Study Desk

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and ^(C1)he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, "Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, ^(C2)was angry with Judah, He has handed them over to you, and you have killed them in a rage ^(C3)which has even reached heaven.

"Now you are proposing to ^(C1)subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem as male and female slaves for yourselves. Are you not, however guilty yourselves of offenses against the LORD your God?

"Now then, listen to me and return the captives ^(C1)whom you captured from your brothers, ^(C2)for the burning anger of the LORD is against you."

Then some of the leading men of the sons of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—rose up against those who were coming from the battle,

and said to them, "You must not bring the captives in here, for you are proposing to bring guilt upon us before the LORD, adding to our sins and our guilt; for our guilt is great, and His burning anger is against Israel."

So the armed men left the captives and the spoils before the officers and all the assembly.

Then ^(C1)the men who were designated by name got up, took the captives, and they clothed all their naked people from the spoils; they gave them clothes and sandals, fed them and ^(C2)gave them drink, anointed them with oil, led all their feeble ones on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, ^(C3)the city of palm trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria.