²⁵ and when the heads hear that I have spoken with thee, and they have come in unto thee, and have said unto thee, Declare to us, we pray thee, what thou didst speak unto the king, do not hide `it' from us, and we do not put thee to death, and what the king spake unto thee,

⁴ And the heads say unto the king, `Let, we pray thee, this man be put to death, because that he is making feeble the hands of the men of war, who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking unto them according to these words, for this man is not seeking for the peace of this people, but for its evil.'

⁵ And the king Zedekiah saith, `Lo, he `is' in your hand: for the king is not able for you `in' anything.'

⁶ And they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah son of the king, that `is' in the court of the prison, and they send down Jeremiah with cords; and in the pit there is no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sinketh in the mire.

²⁷ And all the heads come in unto Jeremiah, and ask him, and he declareth to them according to all these words that the king commanded, and they keep silent from him, for the matter was not heard;