1 Samuel 2:27–36

²⁷Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house? ²⁸And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

²⁹Why then do you kick at^e My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’

³⁰Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares:

‘I did indeed say that your house

and the house of your father

would walk before Me forever.

But now the LORD declares:

Far be it from Me!

For I will honor those who honor Me,

but those who despise Me will be disdained.

³¹Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in it will reach old age. ³²You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age. ³³And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, I will cause your eyes to fail and your heart to grieve.^f All your descendants^g will die by the sword of men.^h

³⁴And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.

³⁵Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.

³⁶And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”