2 Samuel 18

¹David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

²David sent the people out, 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. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”

³But the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”

⁴The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.

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

⁷The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.

⁸For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.