2 Samuel 18:6-8 - Compare All Versions
2 Samuel 18:6-8 MSG (The Message)
The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle was joined in the Forest of Ephraim. The army of Israel was beaten badly there that day by David’s men, a terrific slaughter—twenty thousand men! There was dazed and confused fighting all over the place—the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword!
2 Samuel 18:6-8 KJV (King James Version)
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 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. 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.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 NASB1995 (New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995)
Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 NCV (New Century Version)
David’s army went out into the field against Absalom’s Israelites, and they fought in the forest of Ephraim. There David’s army defeated the Israelites. Many died that day—twenty thousand men. The battle spread through all the country, but that day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 ASV (American Standard Version)
So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. 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. 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.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 NIV (New International Version)
David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 NKJV (New King James Version)
So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 AMP (Amplified Bible)
So the men went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel [who supported Absalom] were defeated there by the men of David, and a great slaughter took place there that day, 20,000 men. For the battle there was spread out over the surface of the entire countryside, and the [hazards of the] forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 NLT (New Living Translation)
So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim, and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives. The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
2 Samuel 18:6-8 ESV (English Standard Version 2025)
So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.