Joab kills Abner

⁶ Throughout the war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner was gaining power in Saul’s house. ⁷ Now Saul had a secondary wife named Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter. Ishbosheth^[a] said to Abner, “Why have you had sex with my father’s secondary wife?”

⁸ Abner got very angry over what Ishbosheth had said.

“Am I some sort of dog’s head?”^[b] Abner asked. “I’ve been nothing but loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his brothers and his friends. I haven’t handed you over to David, but today you accuse me of doing something wrong with this woman. ⁹ May God deal harshly with me, Abner, and worse still if I don’t do for David exactly what the Lord swore to him— ¹⁰ removing the kingdom from Saul’s house and securing David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan all the way to Beer-sheba!”

¹¹ Ishbosheth couldn’t say a single word in reply to Abner because he was afraid of him.

¹² Abner sent messengers to represent him to David and to say, “Who will own the land?^[c] Make a covenant with me, then I’ll help bring all Israel over to your side.”

¹³ “Good!” David replied. “I will make a covenant with you, but on one condition: don’t show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth. “Give me my wife Michal,” he demanded. “I became engaged to her at the cost of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”

¹⁵ Ishbosheth then sent for Michal and took her from her husband Paltiel, Laish’s son. ¹⁶ Her husband went with her all the way to Bahurim, crying as he followed her.

“Go home!” Abner told him. So he went home.

¹⁷ Abner then sent word to Israel’s elders. “You’ve wanted David to be your king for some time now,” he said. ¹⁸ “It’s time to act because the Lord has said about David: I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and all their enemies through my servant David.”

¹⁹ Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites. He then went to inform David in person at Hebron regarding everything that all Israel and the house of Benjamin were willing to do.

²⁰ When Abner, along with twenty others, reached David at Hebron, David threw a celebration for Abner and his men. ²¹ Then Abner said to David, “Please let me get going so I can assemble all Israel for my master the king. Then they can make a covenant with you, and you will rule over everything your heart^[d] desires.” At that, David sent Abner off in peace.