Today's Bible Passage is "1 Samuel
2:11 - 26"
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11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the
LORD
under Eli the priest.
Eli's
Wicked Sons
12 Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the
LORD. 13 Now it was
the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone
offered a
sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the
priest would
come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 He would plunge it into
the pan
or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself
whatever the
fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came
to Shiloh.
15 But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would
come and
say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to
roast; he
won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw."
16 If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned up first,
and then take
whatever you want," the servant would then answer, "No, hand it over
now; if you
don't, I'll take it by force."
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD's
sight, for they
were treating the LORD's offering with contempt.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD -a boy wearing
a linen ephod. 19
Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she
went up
with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless
Elkanah and
his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman to take
the
place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD." Then they would
go home.
21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to
three
sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the
presence of the
LORD.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons
were doing to all
Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to
the Tent
of Meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear
from all
the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; it is not
a good
report that I hear spreading among the LORD's people. 25 If a man sins
against
another man, God
may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD,
who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their
father's
rebuke, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in
favor with the LORD
and with men.
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