Chapter 77

天之道，其猶張弓歟？
高者抑之，下者舉之；
有餘者損之，不足者補之。
天之道，損有餘而補不足。
人之道，則不然，損不足以奉有餘。
孰能有餘以奉天下，唯有道者。
是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。

The Way of heaven: is it not like stringing a bow?
What is high, it presses down; what is low, it lifts up;
what has too much, it takes from; what has too little, it gives to.
The Way of heaven takes from what has too much and gives to what has too little.
The way of man is not so: it takes from those who have too little to offer to those who have too much.
Who can take what he has too much of and offer it to the world? Only one who has the Way.
That is why the sage acts but does not presume, finishes the work but does not dwell in it, and has no wish to display his worth.