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28 I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod[a] in my presence; and I assigned all the fire offerings of the Israelites to your father’s house.(A) 29 Why do you stare greedily at my sacrifices and at the offerings that I have prescribed? Why do you honor your sons more than you honor me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel? 30 (B)This, therefore, is the oracle of the Lord, the God of Israel: I said in the past that your family and your father’s house should minister in my presence forever. But now—oracle of the Lord: Far be it from me! I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me shall be cursed.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:28 Ephod: a portable container, presumably of cloth, for the lots used in ritual consultation of God during the days of the Judges (Jgs 17:5; 18:14–15) and into the time of David (1 Sm 14:3; 23:6–9; 30:7–8). Attached to the ephod of the high priest described in Ex 28:6–8 is a “breastpiece of decision” which symbolized, but did not facilitate, such consultation. The Exodus text codifies a later form of the tradition.

28 I chose(A) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(B) and to wear an ephod(C) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(D) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[a] scorn my sacrifice and offering(E) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(F) 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.(G)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(H) but those who despise(I) me will be disdained.(J)

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Footnotes

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