國或重治，或重亂。明主在上，所舉必賢，則法可在賢。法可在賢，則法在下，不肖不敢為非，是謂重治。不明主在上，所舉必不肖，國無明法，不肖者敢為非，是謂重亂。兵或重強。或重弱，民固欲戰，又不得不戰，是謂重強。同固不欲戰，又得無戰，是謂重弱。
明主不濫富貴其臣。所謂富者，非粟米珠玉也？所謂貴者，非爵位官職也？廢法作私爵祿之，富貴。凡人主德行非出人也，知非出人也，勇力非過人也。然民雖有聖知，弗敢我謀；勇力，弗敢我殺；雖眾，不敢勝其主；雖民至億萬之數，縣重賞而民不敢爭，行罰而民不敢怨者，法也。國亂者，民多私義；兵弱者，民多私勇。則削國之所以取爵祿者多塗；亡國之欲，賤爵輕祿。不作而食，不戰而榮，無爵而尊，無祿而富，無官而長，此之謂奸民。
所謂"治主無忠臣，慈父無孝子"，欲無善言，皆以法相司也，命相正也。
不能獨為非，而莫與人為非。所謂富者，入多而出寡。衣服有制，飲食有節，則出寡矣。女事盡於內，男事盡於外，則入多矣。
所謂明者，無所不見，則群臣不敢為奸，百姓不敢為非。是以人主處匡床之上，聽絲竹之聲，而無下治。所謂明者，使眾不得不為。所謂強者，天下勝。天下勝，是故合力。是以勇強不敢為暴，聖知不敢為詐而虛用；兼天下之眾，莫敢不為其所好而辟其所惡。所謂強者，使勇力不得不為己用。其志足，天下益之；不足，天下說之。恃天下者，天下去之；自恃者，得天下。
得天下者，先自得者也；能勝強敵者，先自勝者也。
聖人知必然之理、必為之時勢，故為必治之政，戰必勇之民，行必聽之令。是以兵出而無敵，令行而天下服從。黃鵠之飛，一舉千里，有必飛之備也；麗麗、巨巨，日走千里，有必走之勢也；虎、豹、熊、羆，鷙而無敵，有必勝之理也。聖人見本然之政，知必然之理，故其制民也，如以高下制水，如以燥濕制火。故曰：仁者能仁於人，而不能使人仁；義者能愛於人，而不能使人愛。是以知仁義之不足以治天下也。聖人有必信之性，又有使天下不得不信之法。所謂義者，為人臣忠，為人子孝，少長有禮，男女有別；非其義也，餓不苟食，死不苟生。此乃有法之常也。聖王者不貴義而貴法，法必明，令必行，則已矣。
States may achieve 'doubled order' or suffer 'doubled disorder.' When an enlightened ruler is above, those he promotes are invariably worthy — then the law can rest in the worthy. When the law rests in the worthy, then the law operates below and the unworthy dare not do wrong — this is called doubled order. When an unenlightened ruler is above, those he promotes are invariably unworthy. With no clear law in the state, the unworthy dare to do wrong — this is called doubled disorder. Armies may achieve 'doubled strength' or suffer 'doubled weakness.' When the people inherently desire to fight and moreover cannot avoid fighting — this is called doubled strength. When the people inherently do not desire to fight and moreover can avoid fighting — this is called doubled weakness.
The enlightened ruler does not recklessly enrich and ennoble his ministers. What is meant by wealth if not grain, rice, pearls, and jade? What is meant by nobility if not rank, position, and office? Abandoning law to create private grants of rank and salary is false wealth and nobility. The ruler's virtue is not superior to others; his wisdom is not superior to others; his courage and strength do not surpass others. Yet the people, though they may have sage-like wisdom, dare not plot against him; though they have courage and strength, dare not kill him; though they be numerous, dare not overthrow their ruler. Though the people number in the hundreds of millions, they do not dare contest when heavy rewards are offered, and do not dare complain when punishments are applied — because of the law. When the state is disordered, it is because the people have too much private righteousness. When the army is weak, it is because the people have too much private bravery. A diminished state is one with many paths to rank and salary. A doomed state's people hold rank cheap and salary light. Eating without working, gaining glory without fighting, being honored without rank, being wealthy without salary, holding authority without office — these are the marks of the villainous people.
The saying 'a well-governed ruler has no loyal ministers; a kind father has no filial sons' means: there should be no praiseworthy words; all should supervise each other through law and correct each other through orders.
When one cannot commit wrong alone and has no one to commit wrong with — that is proper. What is called wealth means that income exceeds expenditure. If clothing has regulation and food has moderation, expenditure will be small. If women's work is fully done within and men's work is fully done without, income will be great.
What is called 'enlightened' means: nothing escapes observation — then ministers dare not commit villainy and the common people dare not do wrong. Thus the ruler sits on his canopied bed, listens to string and bamboo music, and the realm below governs itself. What is called enlightened is making it so that the multitude cannot do otherwise. What is called strong means: prevailing over all under heaven. Prevailing over the world means combining everyone's strength. Thus the brave and strong dare not commit violence; the wise and sagacious dare not practice deception or idle fraud. Unifying the world's masses, none dare not pursue what the ruler desires and avoid what the ruler detests. What is called strong is making it so that courage and strength cannot but be employed in one's service. When one's will is fulfilled, the world augments it; when not fulfilled, the world is pleased with it. He who relies on the world — the world abandons him. He who relies on himself — gains the world.
He who gains the world first gains himself; he who can defeat strong enemies first defeats himself.
The sage knows the principles of inevitability and the circumstances that must be acted upon. Therefore he creates governance that will inevitably bring order, people who will inevitably be brave in battle, and commands that will inevitably be obeyed. Thus his armies march out with no rival, and his commands are obeyed by all under heaven. The yellow swan flies a thousand li in a single flight because it has the equipment for certain flight. Swift horses run a thousand li in a day because they have the tendency for certain speed. Tigers, leopards, bears, and grizzlies are fierce and without rival because they have the principle of certain victory. The sage perceives the fundamental nature of governance and knows the principles of inevitability — therefore his control of the people is like using high and low ground to control water, or using dry and wet to control fire. Therefore it is said: the benevolent can be benevolent toward others but cannot make others benevolent; the righteous can love others but cannot make others loving. From this we know that benevolence and righteousness are insufficient to govern the world. The sage possesses the nature of certain trustworthiness, and also possesses the law that makes it so the world cannot but be trustworthy. What is called righteousness is: for a minister to be loyal, for a son to be filial, for young and old to observe propriety, for men and women to maintain distinctions. Beyond this righteousness: when hungry, not to eat carelessly; when facing death, not to live carelessly. These are the constants of having law. The sage king does not value righteousness but values law. When the law is clear and commands are enforced — that is sufficient.
