1. And Dawiḏ mustered the people who were with him, and set commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.
2. And Dawiḏ sent out one third of the people under the hand of Yo’aḇ, and one third under the hand of Aḇishai son of Tseruyah, Yo’aḇ’s brother, and one third under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the sovereign said to the people, “I shall certainly go out with you too.”
3. But the people answered, “Do not go out, for if we flee away, they would not set heart upon us. Even if half of us die, they would not set heart upon us. For now, ten thousand are like us. Therefore, it is better for you to support us from the city.”
4. And the sovereign said to them, “That which is good in your eyes I do.” And the sovereign stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5. And the sovereign ordered Yo’aḇ, and Aḇishai and Ittai, saying, “Be gentle with the young man Aḇshalom for my sake.” And all the people heard when the sovereign gave all the commanders orders concerning Aḇshalom.
6. So the people went out into the field to meet Yisra’ĕl. And the battle was in the forest of Ephrayim,
7. and the people of Yisra’ĕl were smitten there before the servants of Dawiḏ. And the slaughter there that day was great – twenty thousand.
8. And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9. And when Aḇshalom met the servants of Dawiḏ, Aḇshalom was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth. And he was suspended between the heavens and earth while the mule which was under him passed on.