Prophecy Against Eli’s Household

²² Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, ^[a]and how they lay with ^(A)the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. ²⁴ No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people transgress. ²⁵ If one man sins against another, ^(B)God^[b] will judge him. But if a man ^(C)sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, ^(D)because the Lord desired to kill them.

²⁶ And the child Samuel ^(E)grew in stature, and ^(F)in favor both with the Lord and men.

²⁷ Then a ^(G)man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ^(H)‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? ²⁸ Did I not ^(I)choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And ^(J)did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? ²⁹ Why do you ^(K)kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My ^(L)dwelling place, and honor your sons more than ^(M)Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ ³⁰ Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ^(N)‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ^(O)‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and ^(P)those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. ³¹ Behold, ^(Q)the days are coming that I will cut off your ^[c]arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. ³² And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be ^(R)an old man in your house forever. ³³ But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. ³⁴ Now this shall be ^(S)a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: ^(T)in one day they shall die, both of them.

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and ^(A)Israel was ^[a]defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ Also ^(B)the ark of God was captured; and ^(C)the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David ^(A)when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.