Psalms 55:15

¹³ But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.

¹⁴ We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.

Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.

¹⁶ But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.

¹⁷ Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
KJV: Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
WEB: Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is among them, in their dwelling.
ASV: Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.
DARBY: Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.
BLB: Devastation [is] upon them! May they go down alive [to] Sheol! For evils [are] in their dwellings, within them.

ÅB: Ødeleggelse komme over dem! La dem fare levende ned i dødsriket! For ondskap hersker i deres bolig, i deres hjerte.
OTB: Måtte døden komme over dem uventet;
Måtte de fare levende ned til Sheol,
For ondskap er i deres bolig, blant dem.
B1930: Ødeleggelse komme over dem! La dem fare levende ned i dødsriket! For ondskap hersker i deres bolig, i deres hjerte.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 59:13
Consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more, so it may be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
Read in context
Psalms 9:17
The wicked will return to Sheol— all the nations who forget God.
Read in context
Psalms 109:6–20
Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
Read in context
Acts 1:18–20
(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.
Read in context
Psalms 64:7
But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded.
Read in context
Numbers 16:30–34
But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.”
Read in context
Matthew 26:24
The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
Read in context
2 Samuel 18:14
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
Read in context