Jeremiah 6:23

²¹ Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

²² Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

²⁴ We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

²⁵ Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

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: They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”
KJV: They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
WEB: They take hold of bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Zion.”
ASV: They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion.
DARBY: They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as a man for the battle, against thee, daughter of Zion.
BLB: Bow and spear they hold firmly—they [are] cruel, and they do not have compassion; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as men for the battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!”

ÅB: Bue og spyd holder de i hånden; de er grusomme og skåner ingen; deres røst bruser som havet, og på hester kommer de ridende, rustet som krigsmenn, mot deg, Sions datter!
OTB: De er bevæpnet med bue og spyd; de er grusomme og viser ingen nåde. Deres stemme brøler som havet når de rir på hester, oppstilt som en mann for kamp mot deg, Datter Sion.’
B1930: Bue og spyd holder de i hånden; de er grusomme og skåner ingen; deres røst bruser som havet, og på hester kommer de ridende, rustet som krigsmenn, mot dig, Sions datter!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 13:18
Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
Read in context
Jeremiah 50:42
They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
Read in context
Jeremiah 4:13
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Read in context
Jeremiah 30:14
All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
Read in context
Ezekiel 23:22–25
Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side;
Read in context
Habakkuk 1:6–10
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
Read in context
Jeremiah 5:16
Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
Read in context
Jeremiah 4:29
The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
Read in context