2Samuel:18:1-8

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* And David numbered the people that were with him , and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them . * And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab , and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah , Joab 's brother , and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite . And the king said unto the people , I will surely go forth with you myself also . * But the people answered , Thou shalt not go forth : for if we flee away , they will not care for us ; neither if half of us die , will they care for us : but now thou art worth ten thousand of us : therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city . * And the king said unto them , What seemeth you best I will do . And the king stood by the gate side , and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands . * 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 . * So the people went out into the field against Israel : and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim ; * Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David , and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men . * For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country : and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured .

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