6-7 Seek God while he’s here to be found,
    pray to him while he’s close at hand.
Let the wicked abandon their way of life
    and the evil their way of thinking.
Let them come back to God, who is merciful,
    come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think.
    The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
        God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
    so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
    and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
    and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
    producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
    not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
    they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

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Seek(A) the Lord while he may be found;(B)
    call(C) on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake(D) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.(E)
Let them turn(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(G) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(H)

“For my thoughts(I) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”(J)
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,(K)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.(L)
10 As the rain(M) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(N)
    so that it yields seed(O) for the sower and bread for the eater,(P)
11 so is my word(Q) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,(R)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose(S) for which I sent it.

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