9. May God strike me dead unless I do for David what the Lord had promised him with an oath:
10. ‘I, the Lord, will transfer the kingship from Saul’s family and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’”
11. Ishbosheth couldn’t respond to a single word, because he was afraid of Abner.
12. Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak on his behalf. “Who owns this country?” he asked. “Make an agreement with me,” he said. “I’ll support you and bring all Israel to you.”
13. “Good!” David answered. “I’ll make an agreement with you. But there’s one condition: You can’t come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”
14. Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth to say, “Give me my wife Michal. I made a payment of 100 Philistine foreskins for her.”
15. So Ishbosheth sent men to take her from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish.
16. Her husband went with her and cried over her all the way to Bahurim. “Go home,” Abner told him. So he went home.
17. Meanwhile, Abner sent the following message to the leaders of Israel: “For some time now you’ve wanted to make David your king.
18. Do it now, because the Lord said about David: ‘I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their other enemies through my servant David.’”
19. Abner also spoke specifically to the people of Benjamin.Then Abner went directly to David in Hebron to tell him everything Israel and the entire tribe of Benjamin had approved.
20. So Abner came with 20 men to David in Hebron, and David had a feast for Abner and his men.
21. Abner told David, “I must go now so that I can gather all Israel for you, Your Majesty. They will make a treaty with you, and you will rule everything your heart desires.” Then David dismissed Abner, who left peacefully.
22. Just then David’s men and Joab were coming home from a raid with a lot of goods. Abner had been dismissed, so he was no longer with David in Hebron.