Yirmiyahu 39-40

Perek 39 describes the bitter end of Jerusalem, when after a prolonged siege of about a year and a half the walls are breached. Yirmiyahu's attempts to convince the nation to surrender, to accept the yoke of Babylonia and to save the city from destruction have been unsuccessful, and the city has fallen to the hands of the Babylonians. Yirmiyahu's prophecies have been fulfilled: the city, and within it the Temple, have been burnt and destroyed, the remainder of the residents of Jerusalem who were in the besieged city have been exiled to Babylonia, and Tzidkiyahu, who tried to escape the Babylonians, has been caught and punished cruelly. But even within the harsh description of destruction we can see signs of hope: Nevuzaradan leaves a remnant of the nation under the authority of Gedalyahu ben Achikam (10), and by command of Nevuchadnezzar saves Yirmiyahu (11-14). The perek ends with a prophecy of rescue about Eved-Melech the Kushi who saved him from death in the mud pit which Yirmiyahu prophesied before the destruction, in the court of the guard (15-18).

Perek 40 describes what happens among those left in the land after the destruction. The perek opens with the story of Yirmiyahu, who chooses to stay in the land after the destruction and join forces with Gedalyahu ben Achikam, who is appointed by the king of Babylonia over the meager group of people who are left in the land (1-6).  Perakim 40-43 deal with the gloomy story of this group led by Gedalya, which was the hope for reconstruction after the destruction; a hope which disappeared with the murder of Gedalya.