1 Samuel 2:13-35

131and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15Also, before 2they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16If the man said to him, “They must surely 3burn the fat 4first, and then take as much as 5you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men 6despised the offering of the Lord.

18Now 7Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy 89wearing a linen ephod. 19And his mother would make him a little 10robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer 11the yearly sacrifice. 20Then Eli would 12bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you 13children from this woman in place of 14the one she 15dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own 16home.

2117The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And 18the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

22Now Eli was very old; and he heard 19all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with 20the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24No, my sons; for the report is not good 21which I hear 22the Lord’s people circulating. 25If one man sins against another, 23God will mediate for him; but 24if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the 25Lord desired to put them to death.

26Now the boy 26Samuel 27was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.

27Then 28a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘29Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 2830Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not 31give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29Why do you 32kick at My sacrifice and at My offering 33which I have commanded in My 34dwelling, and 35honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the 36choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘37I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me--for 38those who honor Me I will honor, and those 39who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. 31Behold, 40the days are coming when I will break your 41strength and the 42strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32You will see 43the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that 44I do for Israel; and an 45old man will not be in your house forever. 33Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar 46so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die 47in the prime of life. 34This will be 48the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: 49on the same day both of them will die. 35But 50I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and 51I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before 52My anointed always.