 Some of King Zedekiah's officials demanded Jeremiah be put to death because they claimed his words were discouraging the soldiers. The king consented and they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern where he sank down into the mud. When another of the king's officials, a foreigner no less, advocated for Jeremiah's well-being, saying the others had acted wickedly, Zedekiah realized he'd made a mistake.