15. Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16. If any man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat and then take as much as you wish,” then he would answer him, “No, but you will give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force.”
17. Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord. For the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
18. But Samuel ministered before the Lord, as a boy, wearing a linen ephod.
19. Now his mother would make him a little coat and brought it to him every year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “The Lord give you offspring from this woman for the sake of the request which was made to the Lord.” Then they would return to their home.
21. The Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.
22. Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, even that they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
23. He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? For I am hearing of your evil dealings from all these people.
24. No, my sons! Truly, it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading.
25. If one man sins against another, God will judge him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.
26. Now the boy Samuel was growing both in stature and favor with the Lord and also with men.
27. A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I not plainly reveal Myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28. And choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire by the children of Israel?
29. Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering, which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’
30. “Therefore the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I surely said that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me forever,’ but now the Lord says, ‘Far be it from Me to do so, for those who honor Me, I will honor, and those that despise Me will be humbled.
31. The days are coming when I will cut off your authority and the strength of your father’s house, so there shall not be an old man in your house.
32. You shall see the distress of My dwelling, despite all the good which will be done for Israel. And there shall not be an elderly man in your house perpetually.