Line by Line - Verse 30, Lines 12-13

He strikes it as a matter of necessity;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Achieve results,
But never be proud.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Achieves result but is not arrogant
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Do what you have to do, not for your own benefit,
but because it needs to be done.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I think Ron Hogan's rendition captures the essence of these two lines very well.

When we commit to actions -- based on a variety of ulterior motives -- we divide our attention between what needs doing and what we hope to get out of it. The benefits we desire to derive influence what we do and how we do it.

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