As an offeringof firstfruitsyou shall bringthem to the LORD,but they shall not ascendfor a soothingaromaon the altar.
So Ephron'sfield,whichwas in Machpelah,whichfacedMamre,the fieldand cavewhichwas in it, and allthe treeswhichwere in the field,that were within allthe confinesof its border,were deededover
As soon as the orderspread,the sonsof Israelprovidedin abundancethe firstfruitsof grain,newwine,oil,honeyand of allthe produceof the field;and they broughtin abundantlythe titheof all.
"You shall not delay[the offering from] your harvestand your vintage.The firstbornof your sonsyou shall giveto Me.
"You shall bringthe choicefirstfruitsof your soilinto the houseof the LORDyour God."You are not to boila younggoatin the milkof its mother.
"You shall celebratethe Feastof Weeks,[that is], the firstfruitsof the wheatharvest,and the Feastof Ingatheringat the turnof the year.
"Speakto the sonsof Israeland sayto them, 'Whenyou enterthe landwhichI am going to giveto you and reapits harvest,then you shall bringin the sheafof the firstfruitsof your harvestto the priest.
You shall bringin from your dwellingplacestwo[loaves] of breadfor a waveoffering,made of two-tenths[of an] [ephah]; they shall be of a fineflour,bakedwith leavenas firstfruitsto the LORD.
With the sacrificeof his peaceofferingsfor thanksgiving,he shall presenthis offeringwith cakesof leavenedbread.
Of the firstof your doughyou shall liftup a cakeas an offering;as the offeringof the threshingfloor,soyou shall liftit up.
"Allthe bestof the freshoiland allthe bestof the freshwineand of the grain,the firstfruitsof those whichthey giveto the LORD,I givethem to you.
But nowChristhas been raisedfrom the dead,the first fruitsof thosewho are asleep.
Nowbehold,I have broughtthe firstof the produceof the groundwhichYou, O LORDhave givenme.' And you shall setit downbeforethe LORDyour God,and worshipbeforethe LORDyour God;
Theseare the ones who have not been defiledwith women,for they have kept themselveschaste.These[are] the ones who followthe LambwhereverHe goes.Thesehave been purchasedfrom amongmenas first fruitsto Godand to the Lamb.
