14. David sent a few of his officials to Ishbosheth to give him this message: “Give me back my wife Michal! I killed a hundred Philistines so I could marry her.”
15. Ishbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.
16. Paltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim, crying as he walked. But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave.
17. Abner talked with the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “You've wanted to make David your king for a long time now.
18. So do it! After all, God said he would use his servant David to rescue his people Israel from their enemies, especially from the Philistines.”
19. Finally, Abner talked with the tribe of Benjamin. Then he left for Hebron to tell David everything that the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the people of Israel wanted to do.
20. Abner took twenty soldiers with him, and when they got to Hebron, David gave a big feast for them.
21. After the feast, Abner said, “Your Majesty, let me leave now and bring Israel here to make an agreement with you. You'll be king of the whole nation, just as you've been wanting.”David told Abner he could leave, and he left without causing any trouble.
22. Soon after Abner had left Hebron, Joab and some of David's soldiers came back, bringing a lot of things they had taken from an enemy village.
23. Just after they arrived, someone told Joab, “Abner visited the king, and the king let him go. Abner even left without causing any trouble.”
24. Joab went to David and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you, and you let him go. Now he's long gone!
25. You know Abner—he came to trick you. He wants to find out how strong your army is and to know everything you're doing.”
26. Joab left David, then he sent some messengers to catch up with Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David did not know anything about it.