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I grew up on the NIV, which puts the beatitudes as 'Blessed are the poor...etc'. The NLT that I am reading here, however, gives a different sense of tense - "God blesses those who are poor...etc' In the NIV, there was a bit of a confusing sense for me, at least, that the blessing was in the difficulty, in a way. This NLT wording, however, for me, puts the focus back on the blesser, God, and on the hope of future blessing. For me, the wording, the sense of tense, is much easier to grasp, and much more encouraging. Instead of seeming to me to be a'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger kind of passage', it becomes more of a combination of 'god works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose; and 'god is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him'.