61 This cohortative נֶאֶרְבָה (ne’ervah) could denote resolve (“We will lie in wait!”) or exhortation (“Let us lie in wait!”). These sinners are either expressing their determination to carry out a violent plan or they are trying to entice the lad to participate with them.
62 The verb אָרַב (’arav, “to lie in wait”) it is used for planning murder (Deut 19:11), kidnapping (Judg 21:20), or seduction (Prov 23:28).
63 Heb “for blood.” The term דָּם (dam, “blood”) functions as a metonymy of effect for “blood shed violently” through murder ( 4).
64 Heb “lie in hiding.”
65 The term “innocent” (נָקִי, naqi) intimates that the person to be attacked is harmless.
66 Heb “without cause” (so , ); “just for fun.” The term חִנָּם (khinnam, “without cause”) emphasizes that the planned attack is completely unwarranted.
67 Heb “lives.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “lives”) functions as an adverbial accusative of manner: “alive.” The form is a plural of state, used to describe a condition of life which encompasses a long period of time—in this case a person’s entire life. Murder cuts short a person’s life.
68 The noun שְׁאוֹל (shé’ol) can mean (1) “death,” cf. ; (2) “the grave,” cf. , , (3) “Sheol” as the realm of departed spirits, cf. “the nether world,” and (4) “extreme danger.” Here it is parallel to the noun בוֹר (vor, “the Pit”) so it is the grave or more likely “Sheol” (cf. , ). Elsewhere Sheol is personified as having an insatiable appetite and swallowing people alive as they descend to their death (e.g., Num 16:30, 33; Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5). In ancient Near Eastern literature, the grave is often personified in similar manner, e.g., in Ugaritic mythological texts Mot (= “death”) is referred to as “the great swallower.”
69 Heb “and whole.” The vav (ו) is asseverative or appositional (“even”); it is omitted in the translation for the sake of style and smoothness. The substantival adjective תָּמִים (tamim, “whole; perfect; blameless”) is an adverbial accusative describing the condition and state of the object. Used in parallel to חַיִּים (khayyim, “alive”), it must mean “full of health” ( 1071 תָּמִים 2). These cutthroats want to murder a person who is full of vigor.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;

let us ambush the innocent without reason;

like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

NIVNew International Version (2011)

If they say, “Come along with us;

let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,

let’s ambush some harmless soul;

let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

CSBChristian Standard Bible

If they say—“Come with us!

Let’s set an ambush and kill someone.

Let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!

Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,

whole, like those who go down to the Pit.

NLTNew Living Translation

They may say, “Come and join us.

Let’s hide and kill someone!

Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!

Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave;

let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

If they say,

“Come with us!

We shall lie in wait for blood;

we shall ambush the innocent without cause.

Like Sheol, we will swallow them alive

and whole, like those who descend to the pit.

KJV 1900King James Version

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,

Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave;

And whole, as those that go down into the pit:

Public Domain