2
And David sent forth a third
part of the people under the hand of Joab and another third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and the other third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us; but now
thou art worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, now
it is better that thou help us out of the city.
4
Then the king said unto them, I will do what seems best unto you. And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
5
And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying,
Deal gently for my sake with the young man,
even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6
So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim,
7
where the people of Israel were slain before the slaves of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand
men.
8
For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9
And Absalom met the slaves of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that
was under him went away.
10
And a certain man saw
it and told Joab, saying, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
11
And Joab replied unto the man that told him, Behold, when thou didst see
him, why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? I would have given thee ten
shekels of silver and a girdle.
12
And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand
shekels of silver in my hand,
yet I would not put forth my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that no one
touch the young man Absalom.