Tao Te Ching · Ch. 74

民不畏死,奈何以死懼之?若使民常畏死,而為奇者,吾得執而殺之,孰敢?常有司殺者殺。夫代司殺者殺,是謂代大匠斲;希有不傷其手矣。

Mín bù wèi sǐ, nài hé yǐ sǐ jù zhī? Ruò shǐ mín cháng wèi sǐ, ér wéi qí zhě, wú dé zhí ér shā zhī, shú gǎn? Cháng yǒu sī shā zhě shā. Fú dài sī shā zhě shā, shì wèi dài dà jiàng zhuó; Xī yǒu bù shāng qí shǒu yǐ.

When the people do not fear death, what is the use of threatening them with death? If people lived in constant fear of death, and we could seize and execute those who behave wrongly, who would dare to do so? There is always the appointed executioner who kills. To kill in place of the appointed executioner is like hewing wood in place of a master carpenter — the one who attempts it will rarely escape injuring his own hands.

— Tao Te Ching 74

Source: Wang Bi edition (Chinese) + Hanyu Pinyin transliteration