The words of this verse are reordered in Good News Translation so that cereal is represented by “grain” later on in the verse, and the expressions cereal offering and first fruits are not repeated as in Revised Standard Version. This produces a shorter and clearer sentence that should probably be followed in other dynamic translations.

First fruits: this is the more technical term for the first grain gathered at the beginning of the harvest period. But the meaning is essentially the same as the word translated “first fruits” in verse 12.

Crushed new grain from fresh ears, parched with fire: the text is difficult and may be understood in two different ways. Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible give the impression that there were two possible kinds of offerings—either roasted grain or ground meal. Revised Standard Version and most other versions seem to indicate that only one kind of offering was involved—meal from fresh grain that is first roasted and then ground or pounded. Either interpretation is acceptable.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .