⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders^(A) who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

² Azariah son of Hoshaiah^(A) and Johanan^(B) son of Kareah and all the arrogant^(C) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!^(D) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’^(E)

² Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray^(A) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.^(B) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few^(C) are left. ³ Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”^(D)

⁴ “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray^(E) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell^(F) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”^(G)

⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true^(H) and faithful^(I) witness^(J) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us.

² And these were his chief officials:^(A)

⁵ But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai^(A) the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.”

²⁰ Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”