2 Samuel 17:24-2 Samuel 18:8 - War Between David And Absalom
24 Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab; this Amasa was the son of a man of Israel named Ithra, who had gone in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother. 26 So Israel pitched camp with Absalom in the land of Gilead. 27 And it came to pass, when David arrived at Mahanaim, that Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; and Machir, the son of Ammiel of Lodebar; and Barzillai, the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28 brought beds and basins and earthen vessels and wheat and barley and flour and parched wheat and beans and lentils and parched grain 29 and honey and butter and sheep and cheese of cows for David and for the people that were with him, to eat, for they said, These people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab and another third under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and the other third under the hand of Ittai, the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us; but now thou art worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, now it is better that thou help us out of the city.
4 Then the king said unto them, I will do what seems best unto you. And the king stood beside the gate, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim, 7 where the people of Israel were slain before the slaves of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.