The prophet Jeremiah was known for being pessimistic about the present and constantly foretelling a calamitous future. Jeremiah found his work so painful that he cursed the day he was born and was called "the Weeping Prophet." God had called him to confront the people of Judah about their idol worship and child sacrifices (Jeremiah 32:35), yet God had already told him that the people would not listen (Jeremiah 7:27).