1 Samuel 2:27-36

Evangelical Heritage Version

²⁷ A man of God came to Eli and told him this:

This is what the Lord says. Didn’t I clearly reveal myself to the house of your father^[a] when they were in Egypt, subject to the house of Pharaoh? ²⁸ Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose him to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the special vest before me. I also gave the house of your father all the food offerings^[b] from the people of Israel. ²⁹ Why do you all kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded for my dwelling place?^[c] Why do you, Eli, honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves with the best of all the offerings from my people Israel?

³⁰ Therefore this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: I stated solemnly that your house^[d] and the house of your father would walk before me forever. But now the Lord declares, “This will never be! Yes, I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed.” ³¹ Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will never be an old man in your house. ³² You will see the distress of the dwelling place. Even when things are good for Israel, there shall never be an old man in your house. ³³ Any man of yours whom I do not cut off from my altar will only wear out your eyes with tears and your heart with grief, and all the future generations of your house will die before they reach old age.^[e]

³⁴ This will be the sign for you that will come on your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: In one day they will both die. ³⁵ I will raise up a faithful priest for myself, one who will act according to what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build an enduring house for him, and he will walk before my anointed one forever. ³⁶ Then anyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to the faithful priest to receive a piece of silver and a loaf of bread. The one who is left will say, “Please appoint me to one of the priests’ offices, so that I can eat a scrap of bread.”