¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,^(A) but the boy ministered^(B) before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(C) for the Lord. ¹³ Now it was the practice^(D) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat^(E) was being boiled ¹⁴ and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ¹⁵ But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

¹⁶ If the person said to him, “Let the fat^(F) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

¹⁷ This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they^[a] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.^(G)

¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering^(H) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.^{(I) 19} Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual^(J) sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed^(K) for and gave to^[b] the Lord.” Then they would go home. ²¹ And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;^(L) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew^(M) up in the presence of the Lord.

²² Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything^(N) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women^(O) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. ²⁴ No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. ²⁵ If one person sins against another, God^[c] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will^(P) intercede^(Q) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

²⁶ And the boy Samuel continued to grow^(R) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.^(S)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

²⁷ Now a man of God^(T) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? ²⁸ I chose^(U) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,^(V) and to wear an ephod^(W) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings^(X) presented by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why do you^[d] scorn my sacrifice and offering^(Y) that I prescribed for my dwelling?^(Z) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money,^(A) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.^{(B) 15} He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves^(C) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.^(D) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Additional Teachings

¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.^(E) Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached,^(F) and everyone is forcing their way into it. ¹⁷ It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.^(G)

¹⁸ “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(H)

Marriage at the Resurrection^(A)

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees,^(B) who say there is no resurrection,^(C) came to him with a question. ¹⁹ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.^{(D) 20} Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection^[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures^(E) or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.^{(F) 26} Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[b]?^{(G) 27} He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

¹⁷ Jesus knew their thoughts^(A) and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.