16. But the man who offered the sacrifice might say, “Let the fat be burned up first as usual. Then you may take anything you want.”If so, the priest’s servant would answer, “No, give me the meat now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17. The Lord saw that the sin of the servants was very great. They did not show respect for the offerings made to the Lord.
18. But Samuel obeyed the Lord. He wore a linen holy vest.
19. Every year Samuel’s mother would make a little coat for him. She would take it to him when she went to Shiloh. She went there with her husband for the sacrifice.
20. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. Eli would say, “May the Lord repay you with children through Hannah. They will take the place of the boy Hannah prayed for and gave back to the Lord.” Then Elkanah and Hannah would go home.
21. The Lord was kind to Hannah. She became the mother of three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up serving the Lord.
22. Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all the Israelites. He also heard about how his sons had physical relations with the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.
23. Eli said to his sons, “The people here tell me about the evil you do. Why do you do these evil things?