Which do you hold more dear?

Or life or wealth,

    To which would you adhere?

Keep life and lose those other things;

Keep them and lose your life:--which brings

    Sorrow and pain more near? 

名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？ 

2. Thus we may see,

    Who cleaves to fame

    Rejects what is more great;

Who loves large stores

    Gives up the richer state. 

是故甚愛必大費；多藏必厚亡。

3. Who is content 

Needs fear no shame.

Who knows to stop

Incurs no blame.

From danger free

Long live shall he. 

知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。

立戒, 'Cautions.' The chapter warns men to let nothing come into competition with the value which they set on the Tâo. The Tâo is not named, indeed, but the idea of it was evidently in the writer's mind.

The whole chapter rhymes after a somewhat peculiar fashion; familiar enough, however, to one who is acquainted with the old rhymes of the Book of Poetry.