1 Samuel 2:22-36

Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all the Israelites and how his sons had sexual relations with the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Eli said to his sons, “Why do you do these evil things that the people tell me about? No, my sons. The LORD’s people are spreading a bad report about you. If you sin against someone, God can help you. But if you sin against the LORD himself, no one can help you!” But Eli’s sons would not listen to him, because the LORD had decided to put them to death. The boy Samuel grew physically. He pleased the LORD and the people. A man of God came to Eli and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I clearly showed myself to the family of your ancestor Aaron when they were slaves to the king of Egypt. I chose them from all the tribes of Israel to be my priests. I wanted them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the holy vest. I also let the family of your ancestor have part of all the offerings sacrificed by the Israelites. So why don’t you respect the sacrifices and gifts? You honor your sons more than me. You grow fat on the best parts of the meat the Israelites bring to me.’ “So the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I promised that your family and your ancestor’s family would serve me always.’ But now the LORD says: ‘This must stop! I will honor those who honor me, but I will dishonor those who ignore me. The time is coming when I will destroy the descendants of both you and your ancestors. No man will grow old in your family. You will see trouble in my house. No matter what good things happen to Israel, there will never be an old man in your family. I will not totally cut off your family from my altar. But your eyes will cry and your heart be sad, because all your descendants will die. “ ‘I will give you a sign. Both your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day. I will choose a loyal priest for myself who will listen to me and do what I want. I will make his family continue, and he will always serve before my appointed king. Then everyone left in your family will come and bow down before him. They will beg for a little money or a little food and say, “Please give me a job as priest so I can have food to eat.” ’ ”