God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God repented of the evil which he said he would do to them, and he didn't do it.
What a tremendous call to the people to repentance, even to the animals, "Don't feed them. And as the cattle are lowing for hunger, let it be as a cry unto God for mercy." So the cattle as they are getting hungry, you can hear them through the streets-mooo. Let that be a cry unto God for mercy. The general, total repentance of the people as they were there in sackcloth and crying out to God, repenting and crying out unto God for mercy.