VERSE STUDY • KJV

2 Samuel 18:1-8

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 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. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. 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 wood of Ephraim; ⁷ 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]. ⁸ 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.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

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 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. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. 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 wood of Ephraim; ⁷ 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]. ⁸ 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.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹ Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. ² He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.” ³ But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.” ⁴ “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵ Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom. ⁶ So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷ There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men. ⁸ The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.

WEB World English Bible

¹ David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ² David sent forth the people, a third part 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. The king said to the people, “I will surely go forth with you myself also.” ³ But the people said, “You shall 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 you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.” ⁴ The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, 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 commanded all the captains 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.

ASV American Standard Version

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 the people, a third part 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. ³ But the people said, 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 thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city. ⁴ 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 went 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 And the people of Israel were smitten 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 face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹ And David inspecteth the people who are with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds, ² and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, ‘I certainly go out—I also—with you.’ ³ And the people say, ‘Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set their heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set their heart unto us—for now like us are ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.’ ⁴ And the king saith unto them, ‘That which is good in your eyes I do;’ and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands, ⁵ and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, ‘Gently—for me, for the youth, for Absalom;’ and all the people heard in the king’s charging all the heads concerning Absalom. ⁶ And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim; ⁷ and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day—twenty thousand; ⁸ and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.

Surrounding context — 2 Samuel 18

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 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.

3 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.

4 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.

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 wood of Ephraim;

7 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].

8 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.

9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that [was] under him went away.

10 And a certain man saw [it], and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest [him], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [shekels] of silver, and a girdle.

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