1 Hannah prayed and said,

11 Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest. 12 Eli’s sons were worthless men; they did not know the LORD. 13 This was the priests’ custom with the people: whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 He would thrust it into the basin, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. This is what they did to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man offering the sacrifice, “Give the priest meat to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat, then take as much as you desire,” he would say, “No, you must give it now. If not, I will take it by force.” 17 The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men treated the LORD’s offering with contempt. 18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 His mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him year after year when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the LORD give you offspring by this woman in place of what was asked of the LORD.” Then they would go back to their own place. 21 The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the LORD’s presence.

22 Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear of your evil deeds from all these people. 24 No, my sons. The report I hear the LORD’s people spreading is not good. 25 If a man sins against another, God will mediate for him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Yet they did not listen to their father’s voice, for the LORD desired to put them to death. 26 The boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with both the LORD and people.

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house? 28 I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before me. I gave your father’s house all the offerings by fire of the Israelites. 29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I commanded for my dwelling? You honor your sons more than me, fattening yourselves on the best of every offering of my people Israel. 30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: I did indeed say that your house and your father’s house would walk before me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from me! I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be lightly esteemed. 31 The days are coming when I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will be no old man in your house. 32 You will see distress in my dwelling, even amid all the good done for Israel, and there will never be an old man in your house. 33 Any man of yours whom I do not cut off from my altar will be left to wear out your eyes and grieve your soul, and all the descendants of your house will die as grown men. 34 This will be the sign for you that will come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build him a faithful house, and he will always walk before my anointed. 36 Everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priestly duties, so that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”