Bible Verses About Judgments: Upon Eli's house

A man of God came to 'Eli and told him, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Didn't I reveal myself to your ancestor's clan when they were in Egypt, serving as slaves in Pharaoh's household?

Didn't I choose him out of all the tribes of Isra'el to be my cohen, go up to my altar, burn incense and wear a ritual vest in my presence? Didn't I assign to your ancestor's clan all the offerings of the people of Isra'el made by fire?

So why are you showing such disrespect for my sacrifices and offerings, which I ordered to be made at my dwelling? Why do you show more honor to your sons than to me, making yourselves fat with the choicest parts of all the offerings of Isra'el my people?'

"Therefore ADONAI the God of Isra'el says, 'I did indeed say that your family and your father's family would walk in my presence forever.' But now ADONAI says, 'Forget it! I respect those who respect me, but those who despise me will meet with contempt.

The day is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's family, so that no one in your family will live to old age.

At a time when Isra'el is prospering, you will see a rival in my Dwelling; and never will anyone in your family live to old age.

Still, I won't cut off every one of your men from my altar; because that would make your eyes grow dim, and you would waste away. Nevertheless, all your descendants will die young.

Your sign that this will occur will be what happens to your two sons Hofni and Pinchas - they will both die on the same day.

I will raise up for myself a faithful cohen who will do what I want and what I intend. I will make his family faithful, and he will serve in the presence of my anointed one forever.

Everyone left in your family will come, prostrate himself before him for a silver coin or a loaf of bread, and say, "Please, won't you give me some work as a cohen, so I can have a scrap of bread to eat?"'"

The P'lishtim fought, Isra'el was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. It was a terrible slaughter - 30,000 of Isra'el's foot soldiers fell.

Moreover, the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of 'Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, died.

One of the soldiers, a man from Binyamin, ran and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and earth on his head [as a sign of mourning].

As he arrived, 'Eli was sitting on his seat by the road, watching; because he was trembling with anxiety over the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city began crying out.

On hearing the cries, 'Eli asked, "What does this uproar mean?" So the man hurried, came to 'Eli and told him.

'Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed, because he was blind.

The man said to 'Eli, "I'm the soldier that came; I escaped today from the battlefield." He asked, "How did things go, my son?"

The one who had come with the news answered, "Isra'el fled before the P'lishtim, and there was a terrible slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hofni and Pinchas, also are dead; and the ark of God was captured.

As soon as he mentioned what had happened to the ark of God, 'Eli fell backward off his seat next to the gate, broke his neck and died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Isra'el forty years.

His daughter-in-law, Pinchas's wife, was pregnant and near delivery-time. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into abnormal labor, bent over and gave birth.

As she was dying, the women standing by her said to her, "Don't be afraid, because you have given birth to a son." But she didn't answer or show any sign of recognition.

She named the child I-Khavod [without glory], saying, "The glory has departed from Isra'el"; because the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and husband.

She said, "The glory of Isra'el has gone into exile, because the ark of God has been captured."