⁴ Then the officials went to the king and said, “This man must be put to death. By talking like this he is making the soldiers in the city lose their courage, and he is doing the same thing to everyone else left in the city. He is not trying to help the people; he only wants to hurt them.”

⁵ King Zedekiah answered, “Very well, then, do what you want to with him; I can't stop you.” ⁶ So they took me and let me down by ropes into Prince Malchiah's well, which was in the palace courtyard. There was no water in the well, only mud, and I sank down in it.

⁸ So Ebedmelech went there and said to the king, ⁹ “Your Majesty, what these men have done is wrong. They have put Jeremiah in the well, where he is sure to die of starvation, since there is no more food in the city.” ¹⁰ Then the king ordered Ebedmelech to take with him three men and to pull me out of the well before I died.