2 Samuel 18:1-8

1Then David 1took a count of the people who were with him and 2appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2And David sent the people out, 3a third 4under the command of Joab, a third 5under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third 6under the command of 7Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I myself will certainly go out with you also.” 3But the people said, “8You should not go out; for if in fact we flee, they will not care about us; and if half of us die, they will not care about us. But 9you are 10worth ten thousand of us; so now it is better that you will be ready to help us from the city.” 4Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So 11the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands. 5But the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And 12all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders regarding Absalom.

6Then the people went out to the field against Israel, and the battle took place in 13the forest of Ephraim. 7The people of Israel were 14defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, twenty thousand men. 8For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.