2 Samuel 18

¹And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

²And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

³But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

⁴And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁶And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men.

⁸And the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹And Absalom found himself in the presence of David's servants. And Absalom was riding upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught in the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.