Offering the Firstfruits

⁹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you^(A) and you reap its harvest,^(B) bring to the priest a sheaf^(C) of the first grain you harvest.^{(D) 11} He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord^(E) so it will be accepted^(F) on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. ¹² On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old^(G) without defect,^{(H) 13} together with its grain offering^(I) of two-tenths of an ephah^[a](J) of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering^(K) of a quarter of a hin^[b] of wine.^{(L) 14} You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain,^(M) until the very day you bring this offering to your God.^(N) This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,^(O) wherever you live.^(P)

¹⁸ He chose to give us birth^(A) through the word of truth,^(B) that we might be a kind of firstfruits^(C) of all he created.

⁴ These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.^(A) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.^(B) They were purchased from among mankind^(C) and offered as firstfruits^(D) to God and the Lamb.