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12 Although Eli’s sons served as priests, they were really worthless men with no understanding of the Eternal 13-14 or of their priestly duties. When someone presented meat as a ritual offering to the Lord, the priest would send a servant with a three-pronged fork to probe around in the pot or kettle as the sacrifice boiled; and whatever he brought up with the fork, the priest would keep as his own. They did this at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came to sacrifice.

15 The priest’s servant would even tell those who were going to burn fat as a sacrifice,

Servant: Give the priest meat to roast. He won’t accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.

16 And if the worshiper protested, saying the priest could take whatever he wanted after the fat was burned, the servant would say,

Servant: Give it to me now; if necessary, it will be taken from you by force.

17 Because they despised the Eternal’s ritual offerings, the Eternal One judged that the sons of Eli had sinned greatly.

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