What does Jeremiah 38:6 mean?

So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered him down with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, just mud, and Jeremiah sank into it. Jeremiah 38:6 - Modern Text Bible

(The officials put Jeremiah in a deep, muddy pit, leaving him to die slowly.)