5. He gave orders to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: “For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom.” And all the troops heard David give this command to his officers.
6. David's army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in the forest of Ephraim.
7. The Israelites were defeated by David's men; it was a terrible defeat, with 20,000 men killed that day.
8. The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.
9. Suddenly Absalom met some of David's men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom's head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in mid air.
10. One of David's men saw him and reported to Joab, “Sir, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11. Joab answered, “If you saw him, why didn't you kill him on the spot? I myself would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”
12. But the man answered, “Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn't lift a finger against the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake don't harm the young man Absalom.’
13. But if I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it — he hears about everything — and you would not have defended me.”
14. “I'm not going to waste any more time with you,” Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, hanging in the oak tree.
15. Then ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him.
16. Joab ordered the trumpet to be blown to stop the fighting, and his troops came back from pursuing the Israelites.
17. They took Absalom's body, threw it into a deep pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. All the Israelites fled to their own homes.