² Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, ^(A)one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of ^(B)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”

^3 (C)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”

¹⁷ But ^(A)Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ^(B)“You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the ^(C)lamp of Israel.”