Poor in spirit, happy are they
Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
Those who are constantly aware of their spiritual needs, who are always searching Jehovah's thoughts [as recorded in the Bible].
Just as a physically poor individual is constantly searching for physical food, the "poor in spirit" have a 'hunger' for spiritual food, they earnestly seek to connect with Jehovah, with prayers and supplications. Proverbs 2:1- 6, Psalm 1:1 to 3, Acts 17:11, Matthew 7:7 to 8. They keep asking for holy spirit from Jehovah. Luke18:7, Luke 11:13
The following renderings should help.
Matthew 5:3 (Worldwide English (New Testament))
3He said, `God makes happy those who know that they need him. The kingdom of heaven is for them.
Matthew 5:3 (New Century Version)
3 "They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Matthew 5:3 (Contemporary English Version)
3God blesses those people
who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom
of heaven! [a]
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 5:3 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: Or "The kingdom of heaven belongs to them."
Matthew 5:3 (Amplified Bible)
3Blessed (happy, [a]to be envied, and [b]spiritually prosperous--[c]with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Matthew 5 NW
3 “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.
...the fruitage of [God's] spirit is
love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, kindness,
goodness, faith,
mildness, self-control."
--- Gal. 5:22-23.
Proverbs 2:4-5 (American Standard Version)
4 If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures:
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.
Matthew 7:7-8 (American Standard Version)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (American Standard Version)
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose trust Jehovah is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
1 Corinthians 4 NW
1 Let a man so appraise us as being subordinates of Christ and stewards of sacred secrets of God. 2 Besides, in this case, what is looked for in stewards is for a man to be found faithful. 3 Now to me it is a very trivial matter that I should be examined by YOU or by a human tribunal. Even I do not examine myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself. Yet by this I am not proved righteous, but he that examines me is Jehovah. 5 Hence do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring the secret things of darkness to light and make the counsels of the hearts manifest, and then each one will have his praise come to him from God.
6 Now, brothers, these things I have transferred so as to apply to myself and A·pol´los for YOUR good, that in our case YOU may learn the [rule]: “Do not go beyond the things that are written,”in order that YOU may not be puffed up individually in favor of the one against the other. 7 For who makes you to differ from another? Indeed, what do you have that you did not receive? If, now, you did indeed receive [it], why do you boast as though you did not receive [it]?
8 YOU men already have YOUR fill, do YOU? YOU are rich already, are YOU? YOU have begun ruling as kings without us, have YOU? And I wish indeed that YOU had begun ruling as kings, that we also might rule with YOU as kings. 9 For it seems to me that God has put us the apostles last on exhibition as men appointed to death, because we have become a theatrical spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools because of Christ, but YOU are discreet in Christ; we are weak, but YOU are strong; YOU are in good repute, but we are in dishonor. 11 Down to this very hour we continue to hunger and also to thirst and to be scantily clothed and to be knocked about and to be homeless 12 and to toil, working with our own hands. When being reviled, we bless; when being persecuted, we bear up; 13 when being defamed, we entreat; we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, until now.
14 I am writing these things, not to shame YOU, but to admonish YOU as my beloved children. 15 For though YOU may have ten thousand tutors in Christ, [YOU] certainly [do] not [have] many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have become YOUR father through the good news. 16 I entreat YOU, therefore, become imitators of me. 17 That is why I am sending Timothy to YOU, as he is my beloved and faithful child in [the] Lord; and he will put YOU in mind of my methods in connection with Christ Jesus, just as I am teaching everywhere in every congregation.
Romans 1:1-32
1 Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ and called to be an apostle, separated to God’s good news, 2 which he promised aforetime through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who sprang from the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 but who with power was declared God’s Son according to the spirit of holiness by means of resurrection from the dead—yes, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we received undeserved kindness and an apostleship in order that there might be obedience of faith among all the nations respecting his name, 6 among which [nations] YOU also are those called to belong to Jesus Christ— 7 to all those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones:
May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First of all, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ concerning all of YOU, because YOUR faith is talked about throughout the whole world. 9 For God, to whom I render sacred service with my spirit in connection with the good news about his Son, is my witness of how without ceasing I always make mention of YOU in my prayers, 10 begging that if at all possible I may now at last be prospered in the will of God so as to come to YOU. 11 For I am longing to see YOU, that I may impart some spiritual gift to YOU in order for YOU to be made firm; 12 or, rather, that there may be an interchange of encouragement among YOU, by each one through the other’s faith, both YOURS and mine.
13 But I do not want YOU to fail to know, brothers, that I many times purposed to come to YOU, but I have been hindered until now, in order that I might acquire some fruitage also among YOU even as among the rest of the nations. 14 Both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and to senseless ones I am a debtor: 15 so there is eagerness on my part to declare the good news also to YOU there in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the good news; it is, in fact, God’s power for salvation to everyone having faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek; 17 for in it God’s righteousness is being revealed by reason of faith and toward faith, just as it is written: “But the righteous one—by means of faith he will live.”
18 For God’s wrath is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who are suppressing the truth in an unrighteous way, 19 because what may be known about God is manifest among them, for God made it manifest to them. 20 For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable; 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened. 22 Although asserting they were wise, they became foolish 23 and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things.
24 Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, 25 even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error.
28 And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, 29 filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless. 32 Although these know full well the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death, they not only keep on doing them but also consent with those practicing them.
Psalms 1:1-3
Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones,
And in the way of sinners has not stood,
And in the seat of ridiculers has not sat.
But his delight is in the law of Jehovah,
And in his law he reads in an undertone day and night.
And he will certainly become like a tree planted by streams of water,
That gives its own fruit in its season
And the foliage of which does not wither,
And everything he does will succeed.
The wicked are not like that,
But are like the chaff that the wind drives away.
That is why the wicked ones will not stand up in the judgement,
Nor sinners in the assembly of righteous ones.
For Jehovah is taking knowledge of the way of the righteous ones,
But the very way of the wicked ones will perish.