Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.

One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.

To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost

Like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Rewards for good service should not be deferred a single day.