And Shefatyah son of Mattan, and Gedalyahu son of Pashḥur, and Yukhal son of Shelemyahu, and Pashḥur son of Malkiyahu heard the words which Yirmeyahu was speaking to all the people, saying:

Thus says יהוה: He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. But he who goes out to the Kasdim will live, and his life will be to him for spoil and he will live.

Thus says יהוה: This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babel, and he will capture it.

Then the officials said to the king, 'Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such things to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.'

And King Tsidqiyahu said, 'Behold, he is in your hand, for the king can do nothing against you.'

So they took Yirmeyahu and cast him into the cistern of Malkiyahu the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. And they let Yirmeyahu down with ropes into the cistern, and there was no water in it, only mud, and Yirmeyahu sank into the mud.

Now Eved-Melekh the Kushite, a eunuch in the king's household, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu into the cistern. And the king was sitting at the Binyamin Gate.

And Eved-Melekh went out from the king's house and spoke to the king, saying:

'My Adonai the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet, whom they have cast into the cistern. He will die there because there is no more bread in the city.'

Then the king commanded Eved-Melekh the Kushite, saying, 'Take thirty men from here with you, and lift Yirmeyahu the prophet up out of the cistern before he dies.'

So Eved-Melekh took the men with him and went into the king's house to the room under the storehouse, and took from there old rags and old garments, and let them down by ropes to Yirmeyahu in the cistern.

And Eved-Melekh the Kushite said to Yirmeyahu, 'Please put these old rags and garments under your armpits, beneath the ropes.' And Yirmeyahu did so.

Then they pulled Yirmeyahu up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Yirmeyahu remained in the courtyard of the guard.

And King Tsidqiyahu sent and had Yirmeyahu the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of יהוה. And the king said to Yirmeyahu, 'I will ask you something; do not hide anything from me.'

And Yirmeyahu said to Tsidqiyahu, 'If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.'

But King Tsidqiyahu swore to Yirmeyahu secretly, saying, 'As יהוה lives, who made this life for us, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who are seeking your life.'

Then Yirmeyahu said to Tsidqiyahu, 'Thus says יהוה, Elohim of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra'el: If you will indeed go out to the officials of the king of Babel, then your life will be spared, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will live.'

But if you do not go out to the officials of the king of Babel, then this city will be given into the hand of the Kasdim, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.'

And King Tsidqiyahu said to Yirmeyahu, 'I am afraid of the Yehudim who have defected to the Kasdim, lest they hand me over to them, and they mock me.'

But Yirmeyahu said, 'They will not hand you over. Please obey the voice of יהוה in what I am speaking to you, and it will be well with you, and your life will live.'

But if you refuse to go out, this is the thing that יהוה has shown me:

And behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Yehudah are being brought out to the officials of the king of Babel, and these women are saying: 'Your trusted advisors have deceived you and have overcome you. Now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they have turned back.'

And all your wives and your sons will be brought out to the Kasdim, and you will not escape from their hand, for you will be captured by the hand of the king of Babel, and this city will be burned with fire.'

Then Tsidqiyahu said to Yirmeyahu, 'Let no one know about these words, and you will not die.'

And if the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you, 'Tell us, please, what did you say to the king? Do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death. And what did the king say to you?'

Then you shall say to them, 'I was presenting my plea before the king, so that he would not send me back to the house of Yonatan to die there.'

And all the officials came to Yirmeyahu and asked him, and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. And they fell silent concerning him, for the matter had not been heard.

And Yirmeyahu remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day that Yerushalayim was captured. And it happened when Yerushalayim was captured.