其脆易泮，其微易散。
為之於未有，治之於未亂。
合抱之木，生於毫末；九層之臺，起於累土；
千里之行，始於足下。
為者敗之，執者失之。
是以聖人無為故無敗，無執故無失。
民之從事，常於幾成而敗之。慎終如始，則無敗事。
是以聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨；學不學，復眾人之所過。
以輔萬物之自然而不敢為。
Translation
What is at rest is easy to hold. What has not yet shown a sign is easy to plan for.
What is brittle is easy to break. What is small is easy to scatter.
Act before it exists. Manage it before it is in chaos.
A tree that fills a man's embrace grows from a tiny sprout.
A nine-story tower begins with a heap of earth.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
He who tries to force things, ruins them. He who tries to hold things, loses them.
Therefore the Sage does not force, and so he does not ruin.
He does not hold, and so he does not lose.
People often fail when they are nearly finished.
If you are as careful at the end as at the beginning, you will not fail.
Therefore the Sage desires not to desire...
He learns what others have forgotten.
He supports the natural course of the ten thousand things and does not dare to interfere.