²⁵ If ^(A)the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,’

²⁷ Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.

⁴ Then the officials said to the king, ^(A)“Let this man be put to death, ^(B)for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking ^(C)the welfare of this people, but their harm.” ⁵ King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, ^(D)for the king can do nothing against you.” ⁶ So they took Jeremiah ^(E)and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in ^(F)the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down ^(G)by ropes. ^(H)And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and ^(I)Jeremiah sank in the mud.