The confusion of the people – Its days have indeed been everlasting. Thus the sage : Is honest and does not divide, Is honorable and does not injure, Is straightforward and does not indulge in excess, Is bright but does not dazzle. Fifty nine When governing people or doing heaven’s duties, It is better to be sparing. Now : only when you can be sparing, This is called early acceptance. Early acceptance is called doubling your accumulation of De. With a double accumulation of De, Then everything can be overcome. When everything can be overcome, Then no one knows your limits. When no one knows your limits, You can possess the nation. Possessing the mother of the nation, You can forever endure. This is called having a deep source and a firm foundation, The Way of long life and enduring sight. Sixty Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish. Because Dao is present in the world, Its ghosts do not have spirit. Not that its ghosts do not have any spirit, But their spirit does not injure people. Not only does their spirit not injure people, The sage also does not injure people. Now : since these two do not injure each other, Therefore their De merges and returns! Sixty one A great nation is like the lowest places water can flow – The merging place of the world, The female of the world. The female always uses stillness to conquer the male. By using stillness, she becomes lower-than. Therefore : if a great nation is lower-than a small nation, Then it takes hold of the small nation. If a small nation is lower-than a great nation, Then it is taken hold of by the great nation. Therefore : sometimes one nation is lower-than in order to take hold of, Sometimes one nation is lower-than and then it is taken hold of. A great nation merely desires to combine livestock and people, A small nation merely desires to get work for its people. Now : for both nations to each get that which is their desire, It is proper for the great nation to be lower-than. Sixty two That which Daos is the obscure mystery of the ten thousand creatures. This is the treasure of a virtuous person, And that which is the protection of a person who is not virtuous. Beautiful speech can be used in the market, Respectful behavior can benefit people. People who are not virtuous, Why abandon them? Therefore : when inaugurating the son of heaven, Or installing the three nobles – Even if you possessed jade disks drawn by a team of four horses, That is not as good as sitting and offering this Way. What was the ancients’ reason that they valued this Way? Did they not say : Seek in order to obtain,