²⁴ Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, both he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵ And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host in the stead of Joab, which Amasa was a man's son named Ithra a Jezreelite that went into Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother. ²⁶ And Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead. ²⁷ And when David was come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash out of Rabbah, the city of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel out of Lodebar and Barzillai the Gileadite out of Rogelim, ²⁸ brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels: and also corn, barley, flour and parched corn, beans and rice, ²⁹ honey, butter, sheep and cheese of kine - for David, and all the people that were with him, to eat. For they supposed that the people should be hungry, fainty, and thirsty in the wilderness.

¹ And the king numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and of hundreds over them. ² And he sent one part of them with Joab, and another part with Abishai the son of Zeruiah Joab's brother, and the third part with Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, "Shall I go with you?"

³ And the people answered, "Nay, for if we flee, our adversaries will not care for us: neither, though half of us were slain, shall they regard us. But thou were worth ten thousand of us. And therefore it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city."

⁴ Then said the king, "What seemeth you best, that will I do." And the king stood up by the Gate's side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ And the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Entreat me gently, my son Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge over Absalom.

⁶ And the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim: ⁷ where the people of Israel were put to the worse before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter that day, even of twenty thousand men. ⁸ And the field was fought in divers places, all abroad upon the earth. And the woods devoured more people that day than did the sword.