Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD 13 or for the custom of the priests with the people.

When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

15 Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”

17 Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they [fn] were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.[fn]” Then they would go home.

21 So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters.

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

23 “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. 25 If a man sins against another man, God [fn] can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?”

But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.