Wickedness of Eli’s Sons. ¹² Now the sons of Eli were wicked; they had respect neither for the Lord ¹³ nor for the priests’ duties toward the people. When someone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork, while the meat was still boiling,^{(A) 14} and would thrust it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They treated all the Israelites who came to the sanctuary at Shiloh in this way. ¹⁵ In fact, even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one offering the sacrifice, “Give me some meat to roast for the priest. He will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.” ¹⁶ And if this one protested, “Let the fat be burned first, then take whatever you wish,” he would reply, “No, give it to me now, or else I will take it by force.”^{(B) 17} Thus the young men sinned grievously in the presence of the Lord, treating the offerings to the Lord with disdain.

⁸ Never take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and distorts the words of the just.^(A)

¹⁹ You must not distort justice: you shall not show partiality;^(A) you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just.