to tarry till Absalom attacked him, but
set over his men captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and
divided his army into three parts; the one part he committed to Joab,
the next to Abishai, Joab's brother, and the third to Ittai, David's
companion and friend, but one that came from the city Gath; and when he
was desirous of fighting himself among them, his friends would not let
him: and this refusal of theirs was founded upon very wise reasons:
"For," said they, "if we be conquered when he is with us, we have lost
all good hopes of recovering ourselves; but if we should be beaten in
one part of our army, the other parts may retire to him, and may thereby
prepare a greater force, while the enemy will naturally suppose that
he hath another army with him." So David was pleased with this their
advice, and resolved himself to tarry at Mahanaim; and as he sent
his friends and commanders to the battle, he desired them to show all
possible alacrity and fidelity, and to bear in mind what advantages they
had received from him, which, though they had not been very great, yet
had they not been quite inconsiderable; and he begged of them to spare
the young man Absalom, lest some mischief should befall himself, if he
should be killed; and thus did he send out his army to the battle, and
wished them victory therein.

2. Then did Joab put his army in battle-array over against the enemy in
the Great Plain, where he had a wood behind him. Absalom also brought
his army into the field to oppose him. Upon the joining of the battle,
both sides showed great actions with their hands and their boldness; the
one side exposing themselves to the greatest hazards, and using their
utmost alacrity, that David might recover his kingdom; and the other
being no way deficient, either in doing or suffering, that Absalom might
not be deprived of that kingdom, and be brought to punishment by his
father for his impudent attempt against him. Those also that were the
most numerous were solicitous that they might not be conquered by those
few that were with Joab, and with the other commanders, because that
would be the greater disgrace to them; while David's soldiers strove
greatly to overcome so many ten thousands as the enemy had with them.
Now David's men were conquerors, as superior in strength and skill in
war; so they followed the others as they fled away through the forests
and valleys; some they took prisoners, and many they slew, and more in