1 Samuel 2:27-36

Contemporary English Version

²⁷One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:

When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am. ^28-29^(A) Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.

But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect^[a] the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.

³⁰I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me. ³¹The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.

³²Your family^[b] will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel,^[c] but everyone in your family will die young. ³³If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his^[d] life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death!^[e] ³⁴^(B) To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.

³⁵I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king. ³⁶But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”

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Footnotes

2.28,29 don't respect: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation “are greedy for.”
2.32 Your family: Or “My house of worship.”
2.31,32 Not one … to Israel: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation do not have these words.
2.33 his: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “your.”
2.33 die a violent death: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “die.”