4 The king said to them, What seems you best I will do. The king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. 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 The people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
8 For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
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