And they went forth and fought, and Absalom with his host was overthrown and put to flight.  And as Absalom fled upon his mule he came under an oak, and his hair flew about a bough of the tree and held so fast that Absalom hung by his hair, and the mule ran forth.  There came one to Joab and told him how that Absalom hung by his hair on a bough of an oak, and Joab said:  Why hast thou not slain him?  The man said:  God forbid that I should set hand on the king’s son; I heard the king say:  keep my son Absalom alive and slay him not.  Then Joab went and took three spears, and fixed them in the heart of Absalom as he hung on the tree by his hair, and yet after this ten young men, squires of Joab, ran and slew him.  Then Joab trumped and blew the retreat, and retained the people that they should not pursue the people flying.  And they took the body of Absalom and cast it in a great pit, and laid on him a great stone.  And when David knew that his son was slain, he made great sorrow and said:  O my son Absalom, my son Absalom, who shall grant to me that I may die for thee, my son Absalom, Absalom my son!  It was told to Joab that the king wept and sorrowed the death of his son Absalom, and all their victory was turned into sorrow and wailing, insomuch that the people eschewed to enter into the city.  Then Joab entered in to the king and said:  Thou hast this day discouraged the cheer of all thy servants because they have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and daughters, of thy wives and of thy concubines, thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee, and showest well this day that thou settest little by thy dukes and servants; and truly I know now well that if Absalom had lived and all we thy servants had been slain, thou haddest been pleased.  Therefore, arise now and come forth and satisfy the people; or else I swear to thee by the good lord that there shall not one of thy servants abide with thee till to-morrow, and that shall be worse to thee than all the harms and evils that ever yet fell to thee.  Then David the king arose and sat in the gate, and anon it was shown to all the people that the king sat in the gate.  And then all the people came in tofore the king, and they of Israel that had beerv with Absalom fled into their tabernacles, and after came again unto David when they knew that Absalom was dead.

And after, one Sheba, a cursed man, rebelled and gathered people against David.  Against whom Joab with the host of David pursued, and drove him unto a city which he besieged, and by the means of a woman of the same city Sheba’s head was smitten off and delivered to Joab over the wall, and so the city was saved, and Joab pleased.  After this David called Joab, and bade him number the people of Israel, and so Joab walked through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and over Jordan and all the country, and there were founden in Israel eight hundred thousand strong men that were able to fight and to draw sword,