原文
公有领域夫佳兵者，不祥之器，物或惡之，故有道者不處。君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬淡為上。勝而不美，而美之者，是樂殺人。夫樂殺人者，則不可以得志於天下矣。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏將軍居左，上將軍居右，言以喪禮處之。殺人之眾，以哀悲泣之，戰勝，以喪禮處之。
王弼注
待校读本章此来源暂无可用注疏。
河上公章句
待校读佳，飾也。祥，善也。兵者，驚精神，濁和氣，不善人之器也，不當修飾之。
兵動則有所害，故萬物無有不惡之者。
有道之人不處其國。
貴柔弱也。
貴剛強也，此言兵道與君子之道反，所貴者異也。
兵，革者。不善之器也。
非君子所貴重之器也。
謂遭衰逆亂禍，欲加萬民，乃用之以自守。
不貪土地，利人財寶。
雖得勝而不以為利己也。
美得勝者，是為喜樂殺人者也。
為人君而樂殺人者，此不可使得志於天下矣，為人主必專制人命，妄行刑誅。
左，生位也。
陰道殺人。
偏將軍卑而居陽者，以其不專殺也。
上將軍尊而居陰者，以其專主殺也。
上將軍居右，喪禮尚右，死人貴陰也。
傷己德薄，不能以道化人，而害無辜之民。
古者戰勝，將軍居喪主禮之位，素服而哭之，明君子貴德而賤兵，不得以而誅不祥，心不樂之，比於喪也，知後世用兵不已故悲痛之。
Legge 1891
Public domainNow arms, however beautiful, are instruments of evil omen, hateful, it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have the Tao do not like to employ them. The superior man ordinarily considers the left hand the most honourable place, but in time of war the right hand. Those sharp weapons are instruments of evil omen, and not the instruments of the superior man;--he uses them only on the compulsion of necessity. Calm and repose are what he prizes; victory (by force of arms) is to him undesirable. To consider this desirable would be to delight in the slaughter of men; and he who delights in the slaughter of men cannot get his will in the kingdom. On occasions of festivity to be on the left hand is the prized position; on occasions of mourning, the right hand. The second in command of the army has his place on the left; the general commanding in chief has his on the right;--his place, that is, is assigned to him as in the rites of mourning. He who has killed multitudes of men should weep for them with the bitterest grief; and the victor in battle has his place (rightly) according to those rites.