Line by Line - Verse 64, Lines 15-16

If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning, they would not so ruin them.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

So give as much care to the end as to the beginning;
Then there will be no failure.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

If they are as careful in the end as the beginning
Then they would have no failure
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Pay as much attention to the finishing touches as you do to the initial steps, and you won't screw up like that.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

John Heider makes a good point in relation to these two lines.

Many leaders spoil the work just as it nears completion. They get eager. They get invested in certain outcomes. They become anxious and make mistakes.

When it comes to our own individual lives, we are the leaders of our own ship. We want specific results and, if it looks like those won't come to fruition, then we try to manipulate things to go the way we want.

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