原文
公有领域不尚賢，使民不爭；不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；不見可欲，使民心不亂。
是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，
弱其志，強其骨。
常使民無知無欲。
使夫智者不敢為也。
為無為，則無不治。
王弼注
待校读賢，猶能也。尚者，嘉之名也。貴者，隆之稱也。唯能是任，尚也曷為；唯用是施，貴之何為。尚賢顯名，榮過其任，為而常校，能相射貴貨，過用貪者，競趣穿窬探篋，沒命而盜，故可欲不見，則心無所亂也。
心懷智而腹懷食，虛有智而實無知也。
骨無知以幹，志生事以亂，心虛則志弱也。
守其真也。
知者謂知為也。
河上公章句
待校读賢謂世俗之賢，辯口明文，離道行權，去質為文也。不尚者，不貴之以祿，不貴之以官。
不爭功名，返自然也。
言人君不御好珍寶，黃金棄於山，珠玉捐於淵也。
上化清靜，下無貪人。
放鄭聲，遠美人。
不邪淫，不惑亂也。
說聖人治國與治身同也。
除嗜欲，去亂煩。
懷道抱一守，五神也。
和柔謙讓，不處權也。
愛精重施，髓滿骨堅。
返樸守淳。
思慮深，不輕言。
不造作，動因循。
德化厚，百姓安。
Legge 1891
Public domainNot to value and employ men of superior ability is the way to keep the people from rivalry among themselves; not to prize articles
which are difficult to procure is the way to keep them from becoming thieves; not to show them what is likely to excite their desires is
the way to keep their minds from disorder.
Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens
their bones.
He constantly (tries to) keep them without knowledge and without desire, and where there are those who have knowledge, to keep them
from presuming to act (on it). When there is this abstinence from action, good order is universal.