27 Then aa man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘bDid I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?

28 ‘aDid I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not bgive to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel?

29 ‘Why do you akick at My sacrifice and at My offering bwhich I have commanded in My cdwelling, and dhonor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the 1choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘aI did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for bthose who honor Me I will honor, and those cwho despise Me will be lightly esteemed.

31 ‘Behold, athe days are coming when I will break your 1strength and the 1strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house.

32 ‘You will see athe distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that 1I do for Israel; and an bold man will not be in your house forever.

33 ‘Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar 1so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die 2in the prime of life.

34 ‘This will be athe sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: bon the same day both of them will die.

35 ‘But aI will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and bI will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before cMy anointed always.

36 ‘Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a 1piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please 2assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”