Astute military man David carefully planned and organized his army into 3 sections led by Joab, Abishai and Ittai. David wanted to go to battle too but his generals would not hear of it as he was too valuable an asset, so David stayed behind asking for his men to go carefully with Absalom! So the battle took place in the Ephraim Forest where David's men defeated Absalom's men killing 20,000 men. Then Absalom came to his end in an unusual way. For whilst riding his mule through the forest his hair got caught up in the branches of an oak tree, the mule kept doing leaving Absalom dangling from the tree. Joab had no mercy and plunged 3 spears into Absalom's heart, and once he was dead the battle came to an end.
When word reached David of his son's death he was devastated and went into a period of profound mourning. David withdrew, despite everything, and wept saying, "O my son Absalom. If only I had died instead of you"!
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