⁸ But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded^(A) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized^(B) him and said, “You must die!^(C)

⁴ Then the officials^(A) said to the king, “This man should be put to death.^(B) He is discouraging^(C) the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

⁵ “He is in your hands,”^(D) King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing^(E) to oppose you.”

⁶ So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard.^(F) They lowered Jeremiah by ropes^(G) into the cistern; it had no water in it,^(H) only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.^(I)