Chapter 36

將欲歙之，必固張之；
將欲弱之，必固強之；
將欲廢之，必固興之；
將欲取之，必固與之。
是謂微明。
柔勝剛，弱勝強。
魚不可脫於淵，國之利器，不可以示人。

To shrink a thing, one must first stretch it;
to weaken it, one must first strengthen it;
to cast it down, one must first raise it up;
to take from it, one must first give to it.
This is called subtle clarity.
The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong.
Fish must not leave the deep water; the sharp tools of the state must not be shown to others.