Study Desk

Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the ^(C1)son of Shelemiah, and ^(C2)Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,

"This is what the LORD says: 'Anyone who ^(C1)stays in this city will die by the ^(C2)sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who surrenders to the Chaldeans will live and have his own ^(C3)life as plunder, and stay alive.'

"This is what the LORD says: 'This city will certainly be ^(C1)handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.'"

Then the ^(C1)officials said to the king, "Please have this man put to death, since he is ^(F1)(C2)discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and ^(F2)all the people, by speaking words like these to them; for this man ^(C3)is not seeking the well-being of this people, but rather their harm."

And King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your ^(F1)hands; for the king ^(C1)can do nothing against you."

So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the ^(C1)cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only ^(C2)mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.