22. Eli was very old, but he heard everything his sons were doing to the Israelites, and how they had sex with the women who served at the meeting tent’s entrance.
23. Eli said to his sons, "Why are you doing these terrible things that I’m hearing about from everybody?
24. No, my sons. Don’t do this. The report I hear spreading among God’s people isn’t good.
25. If someone sins against someone else, God can intercede; but if someone sins against the Lord, who will intercede then?" But they wouldn’t obey their father because the Lord wanted to kill them.
26. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel kept growing up and was more and more liked by both the Lord and the people.
27. Now a man of God came to Eli and said, "This is what the Lord says: I revealed myself very clearly to your father’s household when they were slaves in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh.
28. I chose your father from all of Israel’s tribes to be my priest, to go up onto my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest in my presence. I also gave all of the Israelites’ food offerings to your father’s household.
29. Why then do you kick my sacrifices and my offerings—the very ones I commanded for my dwelling place? Why do you respect your sons more than me, getting fat off the best parts of every offering from my people Israel?
30. Because of all that, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: I had promised that your household and your father’s household would serve me forever. But now—this is what the Lord declares: I’ll do no such thing! No. I honor those who honor me, and whoever despises me will be cursed.