Biaoji (Record of Models)
子言之：“歸乎！君子隱而顯，不矜而莊，不厲而威，不言而信。”
Confucius said: "Go back! The noble person is subtle yet manifest, not stern yet dignified, not fierce yet awe-inspiring, and without speaking is trusted."
子曰：“君子不失足於人，不失色於人，不失口於人。是故君子貌足畏也，色足憚也，言足信也。甫刑曰：敬忌而罔有，擇言在躬。”
Confucius said: "The noble person before others does not lose his steps, does not lose his countenance, and does not lose his words. Therefore the noble person's bearing is enough to make people stand in awe, his countenance enough to make them wary, and his words enough to make them trust him. The Documents, in 'Lü Xing', say: 'Be reverent and cautious without fault; the words chosen are in one's own person.'"
子曰：“裼襲之不相因也，欲民之毋相瀆也。”
Confucius said: "The open outer garment and the closed outer garment are not interchanged, because one wishes the people not to treat one another with familiarity."
子曰：“祭極敬，不繼之以樂；朝極辨，不繼之以倦。”
Confucius said: "In sacrifice, one exhausts reverence and does not follow it with music; at court, one exhausts discrimination and does not follow it with weariness."
子曰：“君子慎以闢禍，篤以不揜，恭以遠恥。”
Confucius said: "The noble person uses caution to avoid disaster, uses earnestness not to be covered over, and uses respect to keep far from shame."
子曰：“君子莊敬日強，安肆日偷，君子不以一日使其躬儳焉，如不終日。”
Confucius said: "The noble person who is solemn and reverent grows stronger daily, while one who is at ease in license grows more careless daily. The noble person does not let his person stay a single day in disorder, as if he could not get through the day."
子曰：“齊戒以事鬼神，擇日月以見君，恐民之不敬也。”
Confucius said: "Fasting in order to serve ghosts and spirits, and choosing the day and month to see the ruler, is out of fear that the people will not be reverent."
子曰：“狎侮死焉，而不畏也。”
Confucius said: "One who is careless and insulting until death still does not fear."
子曰：“無辭不相接也，無禮不相見也，欲民之毋相褻也。易曰：‘初筮告，再三瀆，瀆則不告。’”
Confucius said: "Without a message there is no contact, without ritual there is no meeting, because one wishes the people not to treat one another with familiarity. The Changes, in 'Meng', says: 'At the first divination he tells; the second and third are importunate, and importunity he does not tell.'"
子言之：“仁者天下之表也，義者天下之制也，報者天下之利也。”
Confucius said: "Humaneness is the model of the world, righteousness is the regulation of the world, and requital is the benefit of the world."
子曰：“以德報德，則民有所勸；以怨報怨，則民有所懲。詩曰：‘無言不讎，無德不報。’大甲曰：‘民非後，無能胥以寧。後非民，無以闢四方。’”
Confucius said: "If one repays virtue with virtue, the people have something to be encouraged by; if one repays resentment with resentment, the people have something to be warned by. The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Yi', say: 'No word that is not answered, no virtue that is not repaid.' The Documents, in 'Tai Jia', say: 'The people without a ruler cannot be at peace with one another; the ruler without the people has no one to rule over the four quarters.'"
子曰：“以德報怨，則寬身之仁也；以怨報德，則刑戮之民也。”
Confucius said: "To repay resentment with virtue is the humaneness of one who is generous to himself; to repay virtue with resentment is a people who deserve punishment and execution."
子曰：“無慾而好仁者，無畏而惡不仁者。天下一人而已矣，是故君子議道自已，而置法以民。”
Confucius said: "One who has no desires yet loves humaneness, who has no fear yet hates inhumaneness, there is only such one person in the world. Therefore the noble person discusses the Way starting from himself, and sets up laws and standards for the people."
子曰：“仁有三，與仁同功而異情。與仁同功，其仁未可知也；與仁同過，然後其仁可知也。仁者安仁，知者利仁，畏罪者強仁。仁者右也，道者左也。仁者人也，道者義也。厚於仁者薄於義，親而不尊。厚於義者薄於仁，尊而不親。道有至，義有考。至道以王，義道以霸，考道以為無失。”
Confucius said: "There are three grades of humaneness, which are alike in success but differ in feeling. Those who are alike in success as to humaneness cannot yet have their humaneness known; only when they are alike in making mistakes can their humaneness be known. The humane find peace in humaneness, the wise find benefit in humaneness, and those who fear guilt force themselves to practice humaneness. Humaneness is on the right, the Way is on the left. Humaneness is man, the Way is righteousness. One who is rich in humaneness but thin in righteousness is intimate but not dignified. One who is rich in righteousness but thin in humaneness is dignified but not intimate. The Way has what is utmost, and righteousness has what is examinable. The utmost Way is used to rule as king, the Way of righteousness to rule as hegemon, and the examinable Way to be without fault."
子言之：“仁有數，義有長短小大。中心憯怛，愛人之仁也；率法而強之，資仁者也。詩云：‘豐水有芑，武王豈不仕。詒厥孫謀，以燕翼子。武王烝哉，數世之人也。’國風曰：‘我今不閱，皇恤我後。’終身之仁也。”
Confucius said: "Humaneness has its degrees, and righteousness has long and short, small and great. To be pained and moved inwardly with sympathy is the humaneness of loving others; to follow the rules and force oneself to do things is to borrow from humaneness. The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Wen Wang You Sheng', say: 'The Feng River has its wild millet; how could King Wu not do something? He leaves a plan for his grandsons, to give peace and shelter to his sons. How fine was King Wu!' This is the humaneness of people across several generations. The Airs say: 'Even I myself am not yet accepted; how can I attend to what will come after me?' This is the humaneness of a whole lifetime."
子曰：“仁之為器重，其為道遠，舉者莫能勝也，行者莫能致也。取數多者，仁也。夫勉於仁者不亦難乎？是故君子以義度人，則難為人；以人望人，則賢者可知已矣。”
Confucius said: "Humaneness as a vessel is heavy, and as a way it is far; none can lift it equal to the task, and none can walk it to the end. The one who takes the greatest share is the humane. Is it not hard to strive for humaneness? So if the noble person measures people by righteousness, it is hard to be a person; if he measures them by what people can do, then the worthy can be known."
子曰：“中心安仁者，天下一人而已矣。大雅曰：‘德輶如毛，民鮮克舉之。我儀圖之，惟仲山甫舉之，愛莫助之。’小雅曰：‘高山仰止，景行行止。’”
Confucius said: "One whose heart rests easily in humaneness: there is only such one person in the world. The Greater Odes say: 'Virtue is as light as a hair, yet few among the people can lift it. I have weighed it, and only Zhong Shanfu lifts it; I love him but cannot help him.' The Lesser Odes say: 'The high mountain we look up to; the great road we walk.'"
子曰：“詩之好仁如此，鄉道而行，中道而廢，忘身之老也不知年數之不足也。俛焉日有孳孳，斃而後已。”
Confucius said: "This is how the Odes love humaneness. One walks toward the Way, and if one stops halfway and gives up, forgetting one's own old age and not knowing that the years are insufficient, one is diligent and unwearied every day, and stops only when one falls."
子曰：“仁之難成久矣。人人失其所好，故仁者之過易辭也。”
Confucius said: "It has been a long time since humaneness was hard to accomplish. Everyone loses what he loves, so the faults of the humane are easily explained."
子曰：“恭近禮，儉近仁，信近情。敬讓以行，此雖有過，其不甚矣。夫恭寡過，情可信，儉易容也，以此失之者，不亦鮮乎？詩曰：‘溫溫恭人，惟德之基。’”
Confucius said: "Respectfulness is close to ritual, frugality is close to humaneness, and good faith is close to true feeling. If one acts with reverence and deference, even if one makes mistakes, they will not be serious. With respectfulness there are few faults, with true feeling one can be trusted, and with frugality one is easily accommodated; will not those who err on these grounds be few? The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Yi', say: 'The gentle and respectful person is the foundation of virtue.'"
子曰：“仁之難成久矣！惟君子能之。是故君子不以其所能者病人，不以人之所不能者愧人。是故聖人之制行也，不制以已，使民有所勸勉愧恥以行其言。禮以節之，信以結之，容貌以文之，衣服以移之，朋友以極之，欲民之有壹也。小雅曰：‘不愧於人，不畏於天。’是故君子服其服，則文以君子之容；有其容，則文以君子之辭；遂其辭，則實以君子之德。是故君子恥服其服而無其容，恥有其容而無其辭，恥有其辭而無其德，恥有其德而無其行。是故君子衰絰則有哀色，端冕則有敬色，甲冑則有不可辱之色。詩云：‘惟鵜在梁，不濡其翼。彼記之子，不稱其服。’”
Confucius said: "It has been a long time since humaneness was hard to accomplish! Only the noble person can do it. So the noble person does not blame others for what he himself can do, and does not shame others for what they cannot do. So the sages set up conduct not by themselves alone, but so that the people are encouraged and ashamed and put his words into practice. He restrains by ritual, joins by good faith, adorns by appearance, changes by clothing, and perfects by friends, wishing the people to be single-minded. The Lesser Odes say: 'Not ashamed before others, not afraid before Heaven.' So when the noble person wears the garb, he adorns it with the demeanor of a noble person; having that demeanor, he adorns it with the speech of a noble person; having accomplished that speech, he fills it with the virtue of a noble person. So the noble person is ashamed to wear the garb without the demeanor, ashamed to have the demeanor without the speech, ashamed to have the speech without the virtue, and ashamed to have the virtue without the conduct. So in mourning garb the noble person has a look of grief, in ceremonial cap and robe a look of reverence, and in armor and helmet a look that cannot be insulted. The Odes, in the Airs of Cao, 'Hou Ren', say: 'The pelican is on the fish dam, and does not wet its wings. Those people do not match their garb.'"
子言之：“君子之所謂義者，貴賤皆有事於天下。天子親耕，粢盛秬鬯，以事上帝，故諸侯勤以輔事於天子。”
Confucius said: "What the noble person calls righteousness means that the noble and the humble alike have duties in the world. The Son of Heaven plows personally, producing millet for offerings and black-millet wine to serve the Lord on High, and so the feudal lords diligently assist in serving the Son of Heaven."
子曰：“下之事上也，雖有庇民之大德，不敢有君民之心，仁之厚也。是故君子恭儉以求役仁，信讓以求役禮，不自尚其事，不自尊其身，儉於位而寡於欲，讓於賢，卑己而尊人，小心而畏義。求以事君，得之自是，不得自是，以聽天命。詩云：‘莫莫葛藟，施於條枚。凱弟君子，求福不回。’其舜、禹、文王、周公之謂與？有君民之大德，有事君之小心。詩云：‘惟此文王，小心翼翼，昭事上帝，聿懷多福。厥德不回，以受方國。’”
Confucius said: "Those below serving those above, even if they have the great virtue of sheltering the people, do not dare to have a mind to rule over the people; this is the depth of humaneness. So the noble person strives to serve humaneness with respectfulness and frugality, strives to serve ritual with good faith and deference, does not exalt his own affairs, does not honor his own person, is frugal in position and has few desires, yields to the worthy, humbles himself and honors others, and is careful and fears righteousness. He seeks to serve his ruler, and whether he gains it or not it is the same, listening to the decree of Heaven. The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Han Lu', say: 'Dense are the creepers, spreading to the branches. The gentle and easy noble person seeks blessings without deviance.' This probably refers to Shun, Yu, King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. They had the great virtue of ruling the people and the carefulness of serving the ruler. The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Da Ming', say: 'This King Wen was careful and cautious, brightly served the Lord on High, and so brought many blessings. His virtue did not deviate, and so he received the states of the four quarters.'"
子曰：“先王諡以尊名，節以壹惠，恥名之浮於行也。是故君子不自大其事，不自尚其功，以求處情；過行弗率，以求處厚；彰人之善而美人之功，以求下賢。是故君子雖自卑而民敬尊之。”
Confucius said: "The former kings used posthumous titles to honor names, used restraint to single out one kind of kindness, and were ashamed that a name should exceed conduct. So the noble person does not exaggerate his own affairs or exalt his own merit, in order to seek to dwell in the truth; he does not make excessive conduct a thing to be followed, in order to seek to dwell in generosity; he makes plain the goodness of others and praises their merit, in order to seek to place himself below the worthy. So even though the noble person lowers himself, the people respect and honor him."
子曰：“后稷天下之為烈也，豈一手一足哉？唯欲行之浮於名也，故自謂便人。”
Confucius said: "Hou Ji was the one who established merit for the world; was it by one hand and one foot? He merely wished his conduct to exceed his name, and so called himself a person of mere cleverness."
子言之：“君子之所謂仁者，其難乎？詩云：‘凱弟君子，民之父母。’凱以強教之，弟以說安之。樂而毋荒，有禮而親，威莊而安，孝慈而敬，使民有父之尊，有母之親。如此而後可以為民父母矣。非至德其孰能如此乎？今父之親子也，親賢而下無能；母之親子也，賢則親之，無能則憐之。母親而不尊，父尊而不親。水之於民也，親而不尊，火尊而不親；土之於民也，親而不尊，天尊而不親；命之於民也，親而不尊，鬼尊而不親。”
Confucius said: "What the noble person calls humaneness is surely hard? The Odes say: 'The gentle and easy noble person is the father and mother of the people.' He encourages and teaches them with gentleness, and delights and settles them with brotherly kindness. He is joyful without dissipation, courteous and intimate, dignified and at ease, filial and kind and reverent, making the people feel the father's honor and the mother's closeness. Only when one is like this can one be the father and mother of the people. Who but one of utmost virtue could be like this? Now a father loves his sons, loving the worthy and looking down on the lowly and incapable; a mother loves her sons, drawing close to the worthy and pitying the incapable. A mother is intimate but not honored, a father honored but not intimate. Water, to the people, is intimate but not honored; fire is honored but not intimate; earth, to the people, is intimate but not honored; heaven is honored but not intimate; fate, to the people, is intimate but not honored; ghosts are honored but not intimate."
子曰：“夏道尊命，事鬼敬神而遠之，近人而忠焉。先祿而後威，先賞而後罰。親而不尊。其民之敝，惷而愚，喬而野，樸而不文。殷人尊神，率民以事神，先鬼而後禮，先罰而後賞。尊而不親，其民之敝，蕩而不靜，勝而無恥。周人尊禮尚施，事鬼敬神而遠之，近人而忠焉，其賞罰用爵列。親而不尊，其民之敝，利而巧，文而不慚，賊而蔽。”
Confucius said: "The way of Xia honored fate, served ghosts and revered spirits while keeping them at a distance, and drew near to people and was loyal. It put stipend first and awe after, reward first and punishment after, intimate but not honored. The failing of its people was that they were foolish and dull, arrogant and rustic, simple and without refinement. The people of Yin honored the spirits and led the people to serve the spirits; they put ghosts first and ritual after, punishment first and reward after, honored but not intimate. The failing of its people was that they were restless and not at peace, loved to win and had no shame. The people of Zhou honored ritual and valued giving; they served ghosts and revered spirits while keeping them at a distance, drew near to people and were loyal, and used rank and ranking for reward and punishment, intimate but not honored. The failing of its people was that they were greedy for profit and cunning, had refinement but felt no embarrassment, and were harmful and closed-minded."
子曰：“夏道未瀆辭，不求備，不大望於民，民未厭其親。殷人未瀆禮，而求備於民。周人強民，未瀆神，而賞爵刑罰窮矣。”
Confucius said: "The way of Xia had not yet become familiar with words, did not seek completeness, did not demand much of the people, and the people had not yet come to despise their kin. The people of Yin had not yet become familiar with ritual, yet demanded completeness of the people. The people of Zhou coerced the people, had not yet become familiar with the spirits, and yet rewards, ranks and punishments had already been exhausted."
子曰：“虞夏之道，寡怨於民。殷周之道，不勝其敝。”
Confucius said: "The way of Yu and Xia drew little resentment from the people. The way of Yin and Zhou could not bear up under its failings."
子曰：“虞夏之質，殷周之文，至矣。虞夏之文，不勝其質；殷周之質，不勝其文。”
Confucius said: "The plainness of Yu and Xia and the refinement of Yin and Zhou are the utmost. The refinement of Yu and Xia could not bear their plainness; the plainness of Yin and Zhou could not bear their refinement."
子言之曰：“後世雖有作者，虞帝弗可及也已矣！君天下，生無私，死不厚其子，子民如父母，有憯怛之愛，有忠利之教，親而尊，安而敬，威而愛，富而有禮，惠而能散。其君子尊仁畏義，恥費輕實，忠而不犯，義而順，文而靜，寬而有辨。甫刑曰：‘德威惟威，德明惟明。’非虞帝其孰能如此乎？”
Confucius said: "Even if later ages have those who create, the Emperor Yu cannot be equaled! He ruled the world, had no selfishness in life, did not favor his sons in death, treated the people as sons and as parents do, had a love of pained sympathy and a teaching of loyal benefit, was intimate yet honored, at ease yet reverent, awesome yet loving, rich yet ritual, generous in giving and able to share. His noble people honored humaneness and feared righteousness, were ashamed of waste and made light of wealth, were loyal without giving offense, righteous and compliant, refined and quiet, generous and discerning. The Documents, in 'Lü Xing', say: 'The awe of virtue is true awe, the brightness of virtue is true brightness.' Who but the Emperor Yu could be like this?"
子言之：“事君先資其言，拜自獻其身，以成其信。是故君有責於其臣，臣有死於其言。故其受祿不誣，其受罪益寡。”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, one first relies on his words, then bows and offers oneself in person, to complete his good faith. So when the ruler makes a demand of the minister, the minister dies for his word. Thus he accepts his stipend without falsehood, and incurs blame even less."
子曰：“事君大言入則望大利，小言入則望小利。故君子不以小言受大祿，不以大言受小祿。易曰：‘不家食，吉。’”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, if great words enter he hopes for great benefit, and if small words enter he hopes for small benefit. So the noble person does not use small words to receive a great stipend, nor great words to receive a small stipend. The Changes say: 'Not eating at home; good fortune.'"
子曰：“事君不下達，不尚辭，非其人弗自。小雅曰：‘靖共爾位，正直是與。神之聽之，式谷以女。’”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler one does not go straight to the ruler with lowly feelings, does not exalt eloquent speech, and does not recommend oneself unless he is the right person. The Lesser Odes say: 'Be calm and respectful in your position, and upright people will draw near. The spirits hear this and will give you stipends.'"
子曰：“事君遠而諫，則讇也。近而不諫，則尸利也。”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, to remonstrate when far away is flattery. To refrain from remonstrating when near is to occupy a seat for nothing and seek profit."
子曰：“邇臣守和，宰正百官，大臣慮四方。”
Confucius said: "Close ministers keep to harmony, the steward sets the hundred officials straight, and the great ministers plan for the four quarters.
子曰：“事君欲諫不欲陳。詩云：‘心乎愛矣，瑕不謂矣。中心藏之，何日忘之？’”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler one wishes to remonstrate and not to publicize. The Odes, in the Lesser Odes, 'Xi Sang', say: 'My heart loves him, why should I not say it? It is stored deep inside; what day will I forget it?'"
子曰：“事君難進而易退，則位有序；易進而難退，則亂也。故君子三揖而進，一辭而退，以遠亂也。”
Confucius said: "If in serving a ruler one finds it hard to advance and easy to withdraw, positions have their order; if it is easy to advance and hard to withdraw, there is disorder. So the noble person bows three times to advance and takes leave once to withdraw, in order to keep far from disorder."
子曰：“事君三違而不出竟，則利祿也。人雖曰不要，吾弗信也。”
Confucius said: "One who serves a ruler, and after opposing him three times does not leave the border, is after profit and stipend. Even if others say he is not seeking it, I do not believe it."
子曰：“事君慎始而敬終。”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, be careful at the beginning and respectful at the end."
子曰：“事君可貴可賤，可富可貧，可生可殺，而不可使為亂。”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, one can be made noble or humble, rich or poor, can be let live or be killed, but cannot be made to cause disorder."
子曰：“事君，軍旅不闢難，朝廷不辭賤。處其位而不履其事，則亂也。故君使其臣，得志則慎慮而從之，否則孰慮而從之。終事而退，臣之厚也。易曰：‘不事王侯，高尚其事。’”
Confucius said: "In serving a ruler, one does not avoid hardship in the army, and does not decline humble posts at court. To occupy the position without performing the duty is disorder. So when the ruler employs his ministers, if his aims are realized, he follows with careful planning, and otherwise follows after deep thought. To retire when the task is done is the minister's generosity. The Changes say: 'Not serving kings and lords, he holds his task high.'"
子曰：“唯天子受命於天，士受命於君。故君命順，則臣有順命。君命逆，則臣有逆命。詩曰：‘鵲之姜姜，鶉之賁賁。人之無良，我以為君。’”
Confucius said: "Only the Son of Heaven receives his mandate from Heaven, and a scholar receives his from the ruler. So if the ruler's mandate is compliant, the minister has a compliant mandate; if the ruler's mandate is perverse, the minister has a perverse mandate. The Odes, in the Airs of Yong, 'Chun Zhi Benben', say: 'The magpies are so lively, the quails so bustling. The man is without goodness, yet I take him as ruler.'"
子曰：“君子不以辭盡人。故天下有道，則行有枝葉；天下無道，則辭有枝葉。是故君子於有喪者之側，不能賻焉，則不問其所費。於有病者之側，不能饋焉，則不問其所欲。有客不能館，則不問其所舍。故君子之接如水，小人之接如醴。君子淡以成，小人甘以壞。小雅曰：‘盜言孔甘，亂是用餤。’”
Confucius said: "The noble person does not see through a person by his words alone. So when the world has the Way, conduct has branches and leaves; when the world lacks the Way, words have branches and leaves. So the noble person, beside someone in mourning, if he cannot help with funeral expenses, does not ask what he has spent. Beside someone who is ill, if he cannot send gifts, he does not ask what he wants. When there is a guest and he cannot arrange lodging, he does not ask where he is staying. So the noble person's dealings are like water, the petty person's dealings like sweet wine. The noble person's are plain and complete, the petty person's sweet and ruinous. The Lesser Odes say: 'Slanders are very sweet, and so disorder grows worse.'"
子曰：“君子不以口譽人，則民作忠。故君子問人之寒則衣之，問人之飢則食之，稱人之美則爵之。國風曰：‘心之憂矣，於我歸說。’”
Confucius said: "If the noble person does not praise people with his mouth, the people are moved to loyalty. So the noble person, on asking about someone's cold, gives him clothing, on asking about someone's hunger, gives him food, and on praising someone's excellence, gives him rank. The Airs say: 'My heart is sorrowful; come and rest with me.'"
子曰：“口惠而實不至，怨菑及其身。是故君子與其有諾責也，寧有己怨。國風曰：‘言笑晏晏，信誓旦旦，不思其反，反是不思，亦已焉哉！’”
Confucius said: "One who gives kindness by word but does not deliver in fact brings resentment and calamity upon himself. So the noble person would rather bear the blame of refusing to promise than the resentment of failing to fulfil. The Airs say: 'Our words and smiles were harmonious, our sworn oath sincere. I did not think of the reversal, and when it reversed I did not think of it either; and so let it end!'"
子曰：“君子不以色親人。情疏而貌親，在小人則穿窬之盜也與？”
Confucius said: "The noble person does not draw close to people by his looks. To be distant in feeling and close in appearance is, in a petty person, like a thief who tunnels through walls."
子曰：“情慾信，辭欲巧。”
Confucius said: "One's feelings should be truthful, and one's words skillful."
子言之：“昔三代明王，皆事天地之神明，無非卜筮之用，不敢以其私褻事上帝。是故不犯日月，不違卜筮。卜筮不相襲也，大事有時日，小事無時日。有筮，外事用剛日，內事用柔日，不違龜筮。”
Confucius said: "Formerly the enlightened kings of the Three Dynasties all served the spirits of Heaven and Earth, and there was none who did not make use of tortoise and milfoil divination; they did not dare to use their own private wishes to be familiar with the Lord on High. So they did not offend the days and months, and did not go against tortoise and milfoil. Tortoise and milfoil are not used one after the other. Great matters have fixed days, and small matters have no fixed day but use milfoil. External affairs use the firm days, internal affairs use the soft days, and they do not go against the tortoise and the milfoil."
子曰：“牲牷禮樂齊盛，是以無害乎。鬼神無怨乎百姓。”
Confucius said: "With the sacrificial animals whole, and the rites, music and millet offerings complete, there is thus no harm to the spirits and no resentment among the people."
子曰：“后稷之祀易富也，其辭恭，其欲儉，其祿及子孫。詩曰：‘后稷兆祀，庶無罪悔，以迄於今。’”
Confucius said: "The sacrifices of Hou Ji were easily abundant, his words were respectful, his desires were frugal, and his stipend reached his descendants. The Odes, in the Greater Odes, 'Sheng Min', say: 'Hou Ji began the sacrifices, hoping to be without offense or regret, and so it has been until today.'"
子曰：“大人之器威敬。天子無筮，諸侯有守筮。天子道以筮，諸侯非其國不以筮。卜宅寢室，天子不卜處大廟。”
Confucius said: "The vessels of great men are solemn and reverent. The Son of Heaven does not use milfoil divination, while the feudal lords have milfoil for guarding the state. The Son of Heaven uses milfoil on the road, and the feudal lords do not use it outside their own state. In divining for a dwelling or bedchamber, the Son of Heaven does not divine in the grand temple."
子曰：“君子敬則用祭器，是以不廢日月，不違龜筮，以敬事其君長。是以上不瀆於民，下不褻於上。”
Confucius said: "When the noble person is reverent he uses sacrificial vessels, and so he does not neglect the days and months and does not go against tortoise and milfoil, in order to serve his ruler and elders respectfully. So above he does not treat the people with familiarity, and below he does not treat his superiors with contempt."