賞信罰必
Rewards Must Be Trustworthy, Punishments Must Be Certain
文王問太公曰：「賞所以存勸，罰所以示懲，吾欲賞一以勸百，罰一以懲眾，為之奈何？」太公曰：「凡用賞者貴信，用罰者貴必。賞信罰必於耳目之所聞見，則所不聞見者莫不陰化矣。夫誠，暢於天地，通於神明，而況於人乎！」
King Wen asked Taigong: 'Rewards exist to encourage, punishments exist to serve as warnings. I wish to reward one person and thereby encourage a hundred, to punish one person and thereby warn the multitude — how should this be done?' Taigong said: 'In using rewards, what matters most is trustworthiness. In using punishments, what matters most is certainty. When rewards are trustworthy and punishments are certain in what people can see and hear, then even those beyond earshot and eyeshot will be silently transformed. Sincerity pervades heaven and earth and reaches the spirits and gods — how much more so does it reach ordinary men!'