Jeremiah 1:16 (ASV)

Passage

And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 1:14 Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jeremiah 1:15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

Jeremiah 1:16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.

Jeremiah 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "utter", "judgments", "against", "touching", "wickedness", "forsaken", "burned", and "incense". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "utter" and "judgments", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "For lo I will call all the..." into verse 17's "Thou therefore gird up thy loins and...", so "utter" and "judgments" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "utter" and "judgments" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.