12 Maar die seuns van Eli was deugniete; hulle het die HERE nie erken nie.

13 Die handelwyse van die priesters teenoor die volk was so: As iemand 'n offer slag, dan kom die dienaar van die priester, net soos die vleis kook, met die drietand-vurk in sy hand,

14 en steek in die kastrol of in die pot of in die pan of in die skottel: alles wat die vurk optrek, neem die priester vir homself. So het hulle met al die Israeliete gedoen wat daar, in Silo, gekom het.

15 Selfs voordat hulle die vet aan die brand steek, kom die dienaar van die priester en sê aan die man wat offer: Gee vleis om vir die priester te braai, want hy sal nie gekookte nie, maar net rou vleis van jou neem.

16 As die man vir hom sê: Laat hulle net eers die vet aan die brand steek, neem dan vir jou soos jou siel begeer -- dan sê hy: Nee, maar jy moet dit nou gee; en so nie, dan neem ek dit met geweld.

17 En die sonde van die jongmanne was baie groot voor die aangesig van die HERE, want die mense het die offer aan die HERE verag.

12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw."

16 If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;" then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force." 17 The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering.