希言自然。
故飘风不终朝，骤雨不终日。孰为此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而况于人乎？
故从事于道者，同于道；德者，同于德；失者，同于失。同于道者，道亦乐得之；同于德者，德亦乐得之；同于失者，失亦乐得之。信不足焉，有不信焉。
【现代汉语】
（统治阶层）应顺应自然之道，减少政令不扰民，让民众自我发展。
狂风不会持续整个白昼，暴雨不会终日不停。这是什么原因呢？是天地使然。天地的狂暴都不能持久，更何况人呢（统治者）？
所以依‘道’行事的人，其行为符合‘道’的规律；依德行事的人，其行为符合德的规范；违背道的规律和德的规范，就会失势于天下。行为符合道的规律的人，道就会亲近他；行为符合德之规范的人，德就会亲近他；违背道的规律、德的规范的人，失败就离他不远了。
统治者没有足够的诚信，失信于民就是必然的结果了。
Chapter 23
Nature expresses few words, yet myriad forms emerge from silence by themselves.
A whirlwind seldom lasts a whole day, neither does a rainstorm.
Who makes these phenomena happen? The answer is heaven and earth.
Since heaven and earth can not make a whirlwind or a rainstorm last a whole day, how can a cruelrule last forever?
Those who abide by the Principle of universe are always with people who abide by the Principle ofuniverse.
Those who abide by the great virtue are always with people who abide by the great virtue.
And those who do not abide by the universal Principle and the great virtue are always with the peoplewho do not abide by the universal Principle and the great virtue.
Because you enjoy being with people who abide by the Principle of universe, these people abide bythe great virtue, these people enjoy being with you, too.
If you enjoy being with people who do not abide by the Principle of universe and great virtue, thesepeople enjoy being with you, too.
Those people who do not have enough faith will not able to inspire faith from others.
(马德五 译)
其他版本：
【英译】
(The governor) To obey the principle of Tao’s, do not disorder people with multifarious governmentorder and help them in self-development.
The most violent wind can not last for a whole morning; rainstorm can not last for all day long.What’s the reason for that? Heaven and earth cause it like that.
Heaven and earth can not be so ruthless and cruel for long time, how much less can human.
Therefore the man who acts as the rules of Tao’s, his behaviors accord with Tao, and
then, Tao will favor him; the man who acts as criterion of virtue, his behaviors accord with virtue,then, virtue will favor him; the man who violates above two principles, he will leads himself to lose atlast.
Breaks promise to people make it be inevitable that the governor have no sufficient good faith.
