19
Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought
it to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the accustomed sacrifice.
20
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
21
And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22
Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that served
at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.
23
And he said unto them, Why do ye
do such things? For I hear from all the people of your evil dealings.
24
No, my sons, for
it is no good report that I hear that ye cause the people of the LORD to transgress.
25
If one man sins against another, the judges shall judge him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto the voice of their father because the LORD had
already decided to kill them.
26
And the child Samuel kept on growing and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.
27
And a man of God came unto Eli and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I not plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?
28
And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel
to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings on fire of the sons of Israel.
29
Why do ye trample my sacrifices and my offerings which I have commanded
to be offered in my tabernacle and honor thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?