| Ch. 81 | Sentence 5 |
| Beck | The Way of heaven sharpens but does no harm. The Way of the wise accomplishes without striving. |
| Blackney | God's Way is gain that works no harm; The Wise Man's way, to do his work Without contending for a crown. |
| Bynner | The way of life cleaves without cutting: Which, without need to say, Should be man's way. |
| Byrn | TheTao of Heaven nourishes by not forcing. The Tao of the Wise person acts by not competing. |
| Chan | The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure. The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete. |
| Cleary | The Way of heaven helps and does not harm. The Way for humans is to act without contention. |
| Crowley | The Dao of Heaven is like an Arrow, yet it wounds not; and the Wise Man, in all his works, makes no contention. |
| Hansen | The guide of nature: benefit and yet do not harm. The guide of Sages: deem-act and don't dispute. |
| LaFargue | "Heaven's Way: to benefit and not to harm." The Way of the Wise Person: to work and not contend. |
| Legge | With all the sharpness of the Way of Heaven, it injures not; with all the doing in the way of the sage he does not strive. |
| Lindauer | The tao of the heavens Benefitting yet without spoiling The tao of the sages Acting yet without contending. |
| LinYutan | The Tao of Heaven Blesses, but does not harm. The Way of the Sage Accomplishes, but does not contend. |
| Mabry | Heaven's Way is to nourish, not to harm. The Sage's way is to work, yet not to compete. |
| McDonald | Heaven's way is to sharpen and bless, all free from harm of cutting, And the wise man's way is to act and accomplish without contending or striving. |
| Merel | Nature flourishes at the expense of no one; So the sage benefits all men and contends with none. |
| Mitchell | The Tao nourishes by not forcing. By not dominating, the Master leads. |
| Muller | The way of Heaven is to help and not harm. |
| Red Pine | the Way of Heaven is to help without harming the Way of the sage is to act without struggling |
| Ta-Kao | Therefore the Sage does not display his own merits. |
| Walker | The way of heaven: benefit all, harm none. The way of the sage: work for all, contend with none. |
| Wayism | |
| Wieger | Heaven does good to all, doing no evil to anyone. The Sage imitates it, acting for the good of all, and opposing himself to no one. |
| World | Infinity manifests, nourishes and disintegrates forever. The sage flows in the peace and harmony of oneness with all things. |
| Wu | The Way of Heaven is to benefit, not to harm. The Way of the Sage is to do his duty, not to strive with anyone. |