Joab Puts Absalom to Death

18 Then David ^[a]numbered the people who were with him and ^(A)set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² And David sent the people out, ^(B)one-third under the hand of Joab, one-third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one-third under the hand of ^(C)Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will surely go out with you also.” ³ But the people said, “^(D)You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not set their heart on us; even if half of us die, they will not set their heart on us. But now ^[b]you are worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.” ⁴ Then the king said to them, “Whatever is good in your sight I will do.” So ^(E)the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. ⁵ Then the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And ^(F)all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁶ Then the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle took place in ^(G)the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ And the people of Israel were ^[c]defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. ⁸ And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.