²⁴ Meanwhile David had gone to Mahanaim, while Absalom and all the men of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. ²⁵ Absalom had made Amasa general in command of the army in place of Joab. (Now Amasa was the son of an Israelite man named Jether, who had married^[a] Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.) ²⁶ The army of Israel^[b] and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.