10:018:002 And David sent forth a third part of the people 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 unto the people, I will
surely go forth with you myself also.
10:018:003 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we
flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us
die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten
thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour
us out of the city.
10:018:004 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
10:018:005 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.
10:018:006 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
10:018:007 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of
David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of
twenty thousand men.
10:018:008 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the
country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the
sword devoured.
10:018:009 And Absalom met the servants 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.
10:018:010 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
10:018:011 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.