16. If the person answered, “Let us do what is right and burn the fat first; then take what you want,” the priest's servant would say, “No! Give it to me now! If you don't, I will have to take it by force!”
17. This sin of the sons of Eli was extremely serious in the Lord's sight, because they treated the offerings to the Lord with such disrespect.
18. In the meantime the boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord, wearing a sacred linen apron.
19. Each year his mother would make a little robe and take it to him when she accompanied her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say to Elkanah, “May the Lord give you other children by this woman to take the place of the one you dedicated to him.”After that they would go back home.
21. The Lord did bless Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.
22. Eli was now very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to the Israelites and that they were even sleeping with the women who worked at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence.
23. So he said to them, “Why are you doing these things? Everybody tells me about the evil you are doing.
24. Stop it, my sons! This is an awful thing the people of the Lord are talking about!
25. If anyone sins against someone else, God can defend him; but who can defend someone who sins against the Lord?”But they would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.
26. The boy Samuel continued to grow and to gain favour both with the Lord and with people.
27. A prophet came to Eli with this message from the Lord: “When your ancestor Aaron and his family were slaves of the king of Egypt, I revealed myself to Aaron.
28. From all the tribes of Israel I chose his family to be my priests, to serve at the altar, to burn the incense, and to wear the ephod to consult me. And I gave them the right to keep a share of the sacrifices burnt on the altar.
29. Why, then, do you look with greed at the sacrifices and offerings which I require from my people? Why, Eli, do you honour your sons more than me by letting them fatten themselves on the best parts of all the sacrifices my people offer to me?