²⁷A man of God came to Eli. He told him, “The Lord says, ‘I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh. ²⁸I chose your father Aaron to be my priest. I chose him out of all of the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all of the offerings that are made with fire by the people of Israel.

²⁹“ ‘Why do all of you laugh at my sacrifices and offerings? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?’

³⁰“The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, ‘I promised that your family and the family of Aaron would serve me as priests forever.’

“But now the Lord announces, ‘I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. ³¹The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family. No man in your family line will grow old.

³²“ ‘You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no man in your family line will ever grow old. ³³A member of your family will serve me at my altar. But what he does will bring tears to your eyes. Your heart will be sad. And the rest of the men in your family line will die while they are still young.

³⁴“ ‘Something is going to happen to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day.

³⁵“ ‘I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. ³⁶Everyone who is left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread. They will say, “Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat.” ’ ”

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