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27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus has the Lord said: I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father [forefather Aaron] when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house.

28 Moreover, I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer on My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And I gave [from then on] to the house of your father [forefather] all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.

29 Why then do you kick [trample upon, treat with contempt] My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?

30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your own father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.

32 And you shall behold the distress of My house, even in all the prosperity which God will give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

33 Yet I will not cut off from My altar every man of yours; some shall survive to weep and mourn [over the family’s ruin], but all the increase of your house shall die in their best years.(A)

34 And what befalls your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be a sign to you—in one day they both shall die. [Fulfilled in I Sam. 4:17, 18.]

35 And I will raise up for Myself a [a]faithful priest (Priest), who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed (Anointed) forever.(B)

36 Everyone who is left in your house shall come crouching to him for a piece of silver and a bit of bread and say, Put me, I pray you, into a priest’s office so I may have a piece of bread.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:35 This person is not identified, but this prophecy found its fulfillment from the standpoint of historical exposition in Samuel (J.P. Lange, A Commentary). Christian writers usually adopt also the Messianic interpretation. The text does not allow an exclusive reference to Christ, since it does look plainly to the then existing order of things; however, it also points to Christ as the consummation of the blessedness which it promises.

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

27 Now a man of God(A) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(B) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(C) and to wear an ephod(D) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(E) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[a] scorn my sacrifice and offering(F) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(G) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(H)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(I) but those who despise(J) me will be disdained.(K) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(L) 32 and you will see distress(M) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(N) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(O) will die in the prime of life.

34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(P) to you—they will both die(Q) on the same day.(R) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(S) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(T) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(U) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(V)”’”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.