Chapter 8

上善若水。
水善利萬物而不爭。
處眾人之所惡，故幾於道。
居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，動善時。
夫唯不爭，故無尤。

The highest good is like water.
Water is good at benefiting the ten thousand things and does not contend.
It settles in the places all people loathe, and so it is close to the Way.
In dwelling, the ground is good; in the heart, depth is good; in dealings, humaneness is good; in speaking, good faith is good; in governing, order is good; in work, ability is good; in moving, timing is good.
Precisely because it does not contend, it is without blame.