True words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not true. The good do not argue; arguers are not good. Those who know are not learned; the learned do not know. The sage does not accumulate things: working for others to become greater, giving to others for more abundance. Heaven's way helps without harming. The sage's way acts without quarreling.
| Index | Chinese | Pinyin | Literal | Idiomatic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 信 | xin | true | True |
| 2 | 言 | yan | words | words |
| 3 | 不 | bu | not | are not |
| 4 | 美 | mei | beautiful | beautiful; |
| 5 | 美 | mei | beautiful | beautiful |
| 6 | 言 | yan | words | words |
| 7 | 不 | bu | not | are not |
| 8 | 信 | xin | true | true. |
| 9 | 善 | shan | good | The good |
| 10 | 者 | zhe | one | |
| 11 | 不 | bu | not | do not |
| 12 | 辯 | bian | argue | argue; |
| 13 | 辯 | bian | argue | arguers |
| 14 | 者 | zhe | one | -ers |
| 15 | 不 | bu | not | are not |
| 16 | 善 | shan | good | good. |
| 17 | 知 | zhi | know | Those who know |
| 18 | 者 | zhe | this | those |
| 19 | 不 | bu | not | are not |
| 20 | 博 | bo | learned | learned; |
| 21 | 博 | bo | learned | the learned |
| 22 | 者 | zhe | this | the |
| 23 | 不 | bu | not | do not |
| 24 | 知 | zhi | know | know. |
| 25 | 聖 | sheng | holy | The sage |
| 26 | 人 | ren | person | |
| 27 | 不 | bu | not | does not |
| 28 | 積 | ji | accumulate | accumulate things: |
| 29 | 既 | ji | ||
| 30 | 以 | yi | for | for |
| 31 | 為 | wei | act | working for |
| 32 | 人 | ren | person | others |
| 33 | 己 | ji | himself | to |
| 34 | 愈 | yu | greater | greater |
| 35 | 有 | you | being | become greater, |
| 36 | 既 | ji | ||
| 37 | 以 | yi | for | to |
| 38 | 與 | yu | give | giving |
| 39 | 人 | ren | person | to others |
| 40 | 己 | ji | himself | for |
| 41 | 愈 | yu | more | more |
| 42 | 多 | duo | abundance | abundance. |
| 43 | 天 | tian | heaven | Heaven |
| 44 | 之 | zhi | 's | 's |
| 45 | 道 | dao | Tao | way |
| 46 | 利 | li | benefit | helps |
| 47 | 而 | er | and | |
| 48 | 不 | bu | not | without |
| 49 | 害 | hai | harm | harming. |
| 50 | 聖 | sheng | holy | |
| 51 | 人 | ren | person | The sage |
| 52 | 之 | zhi | 's | 's |
| 53 | 道 | dao | Tao | way |
| 54 | 為 | wei | act | acts |
| 55 | 而 | er | and | |
| 56 | 不 | bu | not | without |
| 57 | 爭 | zheng | quarrel | quarreling. |