【原文】凡治国之道，必先富民。民富则易治也，民贫则难治也。奚以知其然也？民富则安乡重家，安乡重家则敬上畏罪，敬上畏罪则易治也。民贫则危乡轻家，危乡轻家则敢凌上犯禁，凌上犯禁则难治也。《治国》

【汉解】大凡治国的道理，一定要先使人民富裕，人民富裕就容易治理，人民贫穷就难以治理。何以知其然？人民富裕就安于乡居而爱惜家园，安乡爱家就恭敬君上而畏惧刑罪，敬上畏罪就容易治理了。人民贫穷就不安于乡居而轻视家园，不安于乡居而轻家就敢于对抗君上而违犯禁令，抗上犯禁就难以治理了。

【英译】It is ever so that the way to maintain good order in a state is to be certain, first of all, to make its people prosperous. When the people are prosperous, they are easy to keep in order. When the people are poor, they are difficult to keep in order.  How do we know this? If people are prosperous, they will feel content in their local districts and treat their homes as very important. If so, they will respect their sovereign and be leery of committing crimes, then, they will be easy to keep in order.  If the people are poor, they will feel threatened in their districts and treat their homes lightly, they will dare to denigrate their sovereign and violate his prohibitions. If this occurs, they will be difficult to keep in order.