Eli’s Family Judged

12 Eli’s sons were wicked men;(A) they did not respect the Lord(B) 13 or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot.(C) The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before the fat was burned,(D) the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” 16 If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,”(E) the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!” 17 So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because the men treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.(F)

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Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men who did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a servant[a] of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, and[b] 14 he would stick it into the boiler or pot,[c] and take everything[d] the fork brought up—that is, the priest would take it for himself. This is what they were supposed to do with all the Israelis who came there to Shiloh. 15 But even before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come and say to the person offering the sacrifice, “Give me meat to roast for the priest. He won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 If the man told him[e], “They must surely[f] burn up the fat first, and then take for yourself whatever[g] you desire,” the servant would say, “No,[h] give it now, and if you don’t,[i] I’ll take it by force!”[j] 17 By doing this, the sin of the young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight because the men[k] despised the Lord’s offering.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:13 Lit. lad
  2. 1 Samuel 2:13 So 4QSama; 4QSama reads and take; MT LXX read when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
  3. 1 Samuel 2:14 So 4QSama; MT reads the pan, kettle, caldron, or pot; LXX reads the caldron, kettle, or pot
  4. 1 Samuel 2:14 So 4QSama; MT LXX read the priest took for himself
  5. 1 Samuel 2:16 So MT; 4QSama reads man answered and told the priest’s servant; LXX reads man who was making the sacrifice told him
  6. 1 Samuel 2:16 So MT; 4QSama reads Let the priest LXX reads Let him
  7. 1 Samuel 2:16 So MT; 4QSama LXX read everything
  8. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit. Rather
  9. 1 Samuel 2:16 So MT LXX; 4QSama now, or
  10. 1 Samuel 2:16 So MT LXX; 4QSama reads now, or I’ll take the ram by force to give him the meat
  11. 1 Samuel 2:17 So MT; 4QSama LXX read because they