The unusual Hebrew word order in this sentence emphasizes the importance of these details: “Lamb, complete, male, son of a year, it shall be for you.” Your is plural, referring to the people of Israel. For lamb see verse 3. The word is singular since this describes the young animal to be selected by each family. Shall be without blemish is one word (“whole” or “complete”) meaning that it must not be marred or deformed in any way. Good News Translation has “without any defects.” One may also express this as “without any physical defects.” A male a year old is clear enough; “a one-year-old male.”

You shall take it is followed by an alternative between two kinds of animals, so “you may choose” is better. The word for sheep is plural and distinguishes this animal from the goats. Both animals were kept together in the same flock, and so the Israelites had one word for the young of either animal (as discussed at verse 3).

Alternative translation models combining verses 4 and 5 are:

• If his family is too small to eat the whole animal, he must share it with his next-door neighbor. You [plural] must choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male without any physical defects. And it must be large enough for everyone to have some meat.

Or:

• … any physical defects. And the families must share the cost according to the amount of meat that each person eats.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .