9-10. The Lord promised David that he would take the kingdom away from Saul and his descendants and would make David king of both Israel and Judah, from one end of the country to the other. Now may God strike me dead if I don't make this come true!”
11. Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.
12. Abner sent messengers to David, who at that time was at Hebron, to say, “Who is going to rule this land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you win all Israel over to your side.”
13. “Good!” David answered. “I will make an agreement with you on one condition: you must bring Saul's daughter Michal to me when you come to see me.”
14. And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say, “Give me back my wife Michal. I paid a hundred Philistine foreskins in order to marry her.”
15. So Ishbosheth took her away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.
16. Paltiel followed her all the way to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. But when Abner said, “Go back home,” he did.
17. Abner went to the leaders of Israel and said to them, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.
18. Now here is your chance. Remember that the Lord has said, ‘I will use my servant David to rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’ ”
19. Abner spoke also to the people of the tribe of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tell David what the people of Benjamin and of Israel had agreed to do.
20. When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them.
21. Abner told David, “I will go now and win all Israel over to Your Majesty. They will accept you as king, and then you will get what you have wanted and will rule over the whole land.” David gave Abner a guarantee of safety and sent him on his way.
22. Later on Joab and David's other officials returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of loot with them. Abner, however, was no longer there at Hebron with David, because David had sent him away with a guarantee of safety.
23. When Joab and his men arrived, he was told that Abner had come to King David and had been sent away with a guarantee of safety.
24. So Joab went to the king and said to him, “What have you done? Abner came to you — why did you let him go like that?
25. He came here to deceive you and to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Surely you know that!”
26. After leaving David, Joab sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew nothing about it.
27. When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the belly. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel.