4 “I will do whatever you think is best,” the king replied to them. So he stood beside the gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands.
5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom.
6 Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 The people of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day — 20,000 casualties.
8 The battle spread over the entire region, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.
9 Absalom was riding on his mule when he happened to meet David’s soldiers. When the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so he was suspended in midair.
10 One of the men saw him and informed Joab. He said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree! ”