十二善
Twelve Sources of Strength
威在於不變；惠在於因時；機在於應事；戰在於治氣；攻在於意表；守在於外飾；無過在於度數；無（因）［困］在於豫備；慎在於畏小；智在於治大；除害在於敢斷；得眾在於下人。
Authority comes from consistency. Benevolence comes from acting according to the times. Opportunity comes from responding to events. Victory in battle comes from managing morale. Success in attack comes from striking where unexpected. Success in defense comes from concealing true dispositions. Freedom from error comes from precise calculations. Freedom from difficulty comes from advance preparation. Caution comes from taking small matters seriously. Wisdom comes from managing great affairs. Eliminating threats comes from daring to make decisive cuts. Winning the masses comes from placing yourself below them.
Notes
The Twelve Principles are organized as paired virtues and their sources -- a mnemonic checklist for commanders. The chapter's title 十二陵 ('twelve elevations/eminences') suggests these are high principles to aspire to. Their brevity makes them easy to memorize, which was important in an era when military manuals were often transmitted orally.
外飾 (wai shi, 'outward adornment'): in a defensive context, this means disguising your true strength and intentions -- making the exterior appearance misleading so the attacker cannot assess the defense accurately.