Displaying 4 translations: Dyer, Henricks, Lau, Wu
Chapter 81 Dyer

True words are not beautiful.
Beautiful words are not true.
Good men do not argue.
Those who argue are not good.
Those who have virtue do not look for faults.
Those who look for faults have no virtue.
Sages do not accumulate anything but give everything to others, having more, the more they give.
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.

Chapter 81 Henricks

1. Sincere words are not showy;
2. Showy words are not sincere.
3. Those who know are not "widely learned";
4. Those "widely learned" do not know.
5. The good do not have a lot;
6. Those with a lot are not good.

7. The Sage accumulates nothing.
8. Having used what he had for others,
9. He has even more.
10. Having given what he had to others,
11. What he has is even greater.
12. Therefore, the Way of Heaven is to benefit and not cause any harm;
13. The Way of Man is to act on behalf of others and not to compete with them.

Chapter 81 Lau

Truthful words are not beautiful;
Beautiful words are not truthful.
Good words are not persuasive;
Persuasive words are not good.
He who knows has no wide learning;
He who has wide learning does not know.

The sage does not hoard.
Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;
Having given all he has to others, he is richer still.

The way of heaven benefits and does not harm;
The way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.

Chapter 81 Wu

Sincere words are not sweet,
Sweet words are not sincere.
Good men are not argumentative,
The argumentative are not good.
The wise are not erudite,
The erudite are not wise.

The Sage does not take to hoarding.
The more he lives for others, the fuller is his life.
The more he gives, the more he abounds.

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.