1 Samuel 2:18-36 ▼

18 But the boy Samuel ministered before the LORD, and he wore a linen ephod.

19 And his mother made him a little mantle, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifices of his vow.

20 And Eli blessed Hilkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give you another offspring from this woman for the child which she has dedicated to the LORD. And they went to their own home.

21 And the LORD blessed Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel; and how they reviled the women who prayed in the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear evil reports about you from all this people.

24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear; for you drive away the people of the LORD.

25 If a man sin against a man, he will seek forgiveness before the LORD; but if a man sin against the LORD, from whom shall he seek forgiveness? But they did not hearken to the voice of their father, because it was the LORD'S will that they should be slain.

26 And the boy Samuel grew up, and was in favor both with the LORD and also with men.

27 And there came a man of the LORD to Eli, and said to him, Thus says the LORD, I did surely reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh;

28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense before me, and to wear an ephod; and I gave to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel.

29 Why then do you deal wrongly with my sacrifices and my offerings, which I have commanded in the wilderness; and honor your sons above me, to choose the choicest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel, I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should minister before me for ever; but now the LORD says, Far be this from me; for those that honor me I will honor, and those that despise me shall be despised.

31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your offspring and the offspring of your father, that there shall not be an old man in your house,

32 Nor him that bears rule in your habitation, in all the prosperity which God shall bring in Israel; and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever.

33 And a man of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to sadden you and to grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be a sign to you that shall come upon your two sons, upon Hophni and upon Phinehas; both of them shall die on the same day.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, according to the choice of my heart, who shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house: and he shall walk before my anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass that every one who is left in your house shall come to bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Send me to one of the priests, that I may eat a piece of bread.