Everyone who is proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting and exceedingly offensive to the Lord;Be assured he will not go unpunished.

(The Chorus)“We will rejoice and be glad in you;We will remember and extol your love more [sweet and fragrant] than wine.Rightly do they love you.”(The Shulammite Bride)“I am deeply tanned but lovely,O daughters of Jerusalem,[I am dark] like the tents of [the Bedouins of] Kedar,Like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon.

But I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, the [false] prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I [the Lord] will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time the thief was coming, he [would have been awake and alert, and] would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal [of approval] to this: God is true [and he knows that God cannot lie].

But He told them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”

And [as for the fact] that He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay [in the grave], He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David [those blessings and mercies that were promised to him].’

being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

And our hope for you [our confident expectation of good for you] is firmly grounded [assured and unshaken], since we know that just as you share as partners in our sufferings, so also you share as partners in our comfort.

knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us [along] with you in His presence.

For He says,“At the acceptable time (the time of grace) I listened to you,And I helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—

Now I want you to know, believers, that what has happened to me [this imprisonment that was meant to stop me] has actually served to advance [the spread of] the good news [regarding salvation].

for I know [with confidence] that this will turn out for my deliverance and spiritual well-being, through your prayers and the [superabundant] supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ [which upholds me].

And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

[For my hope is] that their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in [unselfish] love, so that they may have all the riches that come from the full assurance of understanding [the joy of salvation], resulting in a true [and more intimate] knowledge of the mystery of God, that is, Christ,

Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you may [as people of character and courage] stand firm, [spiritually mature] and fully assured in all the will of God.

And again [He says],“My trust and confident hope will be placed in Him.”And again,“Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end,

Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].