Eli Hears About His Sons’ Evils

²² Now Eli was very old; and he heard ^(A)all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with ^(B)the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? ²⁴ No, my sons; for the report is not good ^(C)which I hear the people of Yahweh ^[a]passing about. ²⁵ If one man sins against another, ^(D)God will mediate for him; but ^(E)if a man sins against Yahweh, who can pray for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for ^(F)Yahweh desired to put them to death.

²⁶ Now the young boy ^(G)Samuel ^[b]was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.