וְיִתְכַּסּ֣וּ שַׂקִּ֗ים הָֽאָדָם֙ וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וְיִקְרְא֥וּ אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּחָזְקָ֑ה וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ אִ֚ישׁ מִדַּרְכּ֣וֹ הָֽרָעָ֔ה וּמִן־הֶחָמָ֖ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכַפֵּיהֶֽם׃
מענטשן און בהמות זאָלן זײַן צוגעדעקט מיט זאַק; און מע זאָל רופֿן צו גאָט מיט שטאַרקײט, און מע זאָל זיך אומקערן איטלעכער פֿון זײַן שלעכטן װעג, און פֿון דעם אומרעכט װאָס אין זײערע הענט.
Rashi
and they shall call mightily to God—They bound the dams alone and the young alone. They said to Him, “Lord of the world! If You have no pity on us, we will not have pity on these.” [See Taanith 16a]
Abarbanel
The king decreed that it was not enough that the people just fast and wear sackcloth, but that along with this they should also "cry mightily to God" and "turn back from the violence of their hands," which was the main point.
Ibn Ezra
"And they shall cover themselves," "and they shall call out [to God]"- [The king's proclamation said:] "Any man who is a knowledgeable person, or someone who knows they have done evil," or [the decree was saying] like [that which it says when Avraham entreated God regarding Sodom] "Perhaps [there are ten good men to be found there?]" (Bereshit 18:32).