27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him,(A) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s family[a] when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace?(B) 28 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your house[b] to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence.(C) I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings. 29 Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship?(D) You have honored your sons more than me,(E) by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’

30 “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever.(F) But now,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor,(G) but those who despise me will be disgraced.(H) 31 Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age.(I) 32 You will see distress in the place of worship,(J) in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.(K) 33 Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief[c] and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.[d][e] 34 This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas:(L) both of them will die on the same day.(M)

35 “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest(N) for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him,(O) and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.(P) 36 Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2:27 Lit the house of your father
  2. 2:28 Lit selected him
  3. 2:33 Lit grief to your eyes
  4. 2:33 DSS, LXX read die by the sword of men
  5. 2:33 Lit die men

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.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

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