The call to mourning: 'So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.' This verse calls the people to the outward signs of mourning and repentance (sackcloth, lamenting, wailing), acknowledging that God's anger has not been appeased, that judgment remains imminent. The phrase 'fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us' indicates that despite any partial repentance or religious reform, God's judgment stands: the condition for restoration established in verse 1 (complete turning away from idols and establishment of righteous conduct) has not been fully met. Theologically, this verse establishes that external signs of mourning are appropriate and necessary: the people should grieve not only for the coming destruction but for the covenant violation that made it inevitable.

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