20
Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord"; and then they would return to their home.
21
And the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22
Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
23
He said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
24
No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad.
25
If one person sins against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord; but if someone sins against the Lord, who can make intercession?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father; for it was the will of the Lord to kill them.
26
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.
27
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus the Lord has said, "I revealed myself to the family of your ancestor in Egypt when they were slaves to the house of Pharaoh.
28
I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to offer incense, to wear an ephod before me; and I gave to the family of your ancestor all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.
29
Why then look with greedy eye at my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
30
Therefore the Lord the God of Israel declares: "I promised that your family and the family of your ancestor should go in and out before me forever'; but now the Lord declares: "Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt.