Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(A) for the Lord.

¹⁷ This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they^[a] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.^(A)

²² Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything^(A) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women^(B) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

²⁹ Why do you^[a] scorn my sacrifice and offering^(A) that I prescribed for my dwelling?^(B) 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.^(C)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(D) but those who despise^(E) me will be disdained.^{(F) 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,^(G)