2
David put a third of the troops under Joab's command, another third under Joab's brother Abishai (Zeruiah's son), and the last third under Ittai from Gath. "I am going [into battle] with you," the king said to the troops.
3
"You're not going [with us]," the troops said. "If we flee, they won't care about us, and if half of us die, they won't care either. But you're worth 10,000 of us. It's better for you to be ready to send us help from the city."
4
"I'll do what you think best," the king responded. So the king stood by the gate while all the troops marched out by battalions and regiments.
5
The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake." All the troops heard him give all the commanders this order regarding Absalom.
6
So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim.
7
There David's men defeated Israel's army, and the massacre was sizable that day--20,000 men.
8
The fighting spread over the whole country. That day the woods devoured more people than the battle.
9
Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. So he was left hanging in midair when the mule that was under him ran away.
10
A man who saw this told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in a tree."
11
"What! You saw that!" Joab said to the man who told him. "Why didn't you strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt."
12
But the man told Joab, "Even if I felt the weight of 25 pounds of silver in my hand, I wouldn't raise my hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai: 'Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.'