17
And the sin of these young men was very great before the Lord; for they gave no honour to the Lord's offerings.
18
But Samuel did the work of the Lord's house, while he was a child, dressed in a linen ephod.
19
And his mother made him a little robe and took it to him every year when she came with her husband for the year's offering.
20
And every year Eli gave Elkanah and his wife a blessing, saying, May the Lord give you offspring by this woman in exchange for the child you have given to the Lord. And they went back to their house.
21
And the Lord had mercy on Hannah and she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the young Samuel became older before the Lord.
22
Now Eli was very old; and he had news from time to time of what his sons were doing to all Israel.
23
And he said to them, Why are you doing such things? for from all this people I get accounts of your evil ways.
24
No, my sons, the account which is given me, which the Lord's people are sending about, is not good.
25
If one man does wrong to another, God will be his judge: but if a man's sin is against the Lord, who will take up his cause? But they gave no attention to the voice of their father, for it was the Lord's purpose to send destruction on them.
26
And the young Samuel, becoming older, had the approval of the Lord and of men.
27
And a man of God came to Eli and said to him, The Lord says, Did I let myself be seen by your father's people when they were in Egypt, servants in Pharaoh's house?