2 Samuel 3:6-21

Living Bible

⁶ As the war went on, Abner became a very powerful political leader among the followers of Saul. ⁷ He took advantage of his position by sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines, a girl named Rizpah. But when Ish-bosheth accused Abner of this, ⁸ Abner was furious.

“Am I a Judean dog to be kicked around like this?” he shouted. “After all I have done for you and for your father by not betraying you to David, is this my reward—to find fault with me about some woman? ^9-10 May God curse me if I don’t do everything I can to take away the entire kingdom from you, all the way from Dan to Beersheba, and give it to David, just as the Lord predicted.”

¹¹ Ish-bosheth made no reply, for he was afraid of Abner.

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David to discuss a deal—to surrender the kingdom of Israel to him in exchange for becoming commander-in-chief of the combined armies of Israel and Judah.

¹³ “All right,” David replied, “but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring me my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter.” ¹⁴ David then sent this message to Ish-bosheth: “Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of one hundred Philistines.”

¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth took her away from her husband Palti.^{[a] 16} He followed along behind her as far as Behurim, weeping as he went. Then Abner told him, “Go on home now.” So he returned.

¹⁷ Meanwhile, Abner consulted with the leaders of Israel and reminded them that for a long time they had wanted David as their king.

¹⁸ “Now is the time!” he told them. “For the Lord has said, ‘It is David by whom I will save my people from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’”

¹⁹ Abner also talked to the leaders of the tribe of Benjamin; then he went to Hebron and reported to David his progress with the people of Israel and Benjamin. ²⁰ Twenty men accompanied him, and David entertained them with a feast.

²¹ As Abner left, he promised David, “When I get back I will call a convention of all the people of Israel, and they will elect you as their king, as you’ve so long desired.” So David let Abner return in safety.