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?