6 The army went out to the field to meet Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7 The army of Israel was defeated there before the servants of David, and the defeat there was great on that day: twenty thousand.
8 The battle there was spreading over the surface of all the land, and the forest devoured more among the army than the sword did on that day.
9 Absalom was found in the presence of the servants of David as he was riding on the mule. The mule went under the thicket of the great oak tree, and his head was caught in the tree. He was left hanging between heaven and earth, and the mule which was under him went on.
10 When a certain man saw it, he told Joab, and he said, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in the oak tree!”
11 Then Joab said to the man who was telling him, “Look, if you saw, why did you not strike him down to the ground there? I would have gladly given you ten pieces of silver and a leather belt.”
12 The man said to Joab, “Even if I felt the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my palms, I would not have sent my hand against the son of the king, for in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Whoever you may be, protect the young man Absalom.’