⁷ “For the lips of a priest^(A) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(B) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^{(C) 8} But you have turned from the way^(D) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble;^(E) you have violated the covenant^(F) with Levi,”^(G) says the Lord Almighty.

²³ They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common^(A) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.^(B)

¹⁰ so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,^(A)

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(A) for the Lord. ¹³ Now it was the practice^(B) 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^(C) 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^(D) 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.^(E)