Line by Line - Verse 31, Line 10

and he who delights in the slaughter of men cannot get his will in the kingdom.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

If you delight in killing, you cannot fulfill yourself.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Those who delight in killing
Cannot achieve their ambitions upon the world
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

A person who would rejoice in killing
has lost touch completely with Tao.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

How can a person who supports war equally embrace peace? One is about destroying life, while the other is about protecting it. When a person says they support both or that the former leads to the latter, the contradictions inherent tear the argument apart.

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