原文
公有领域道者萬物之奧。
善人之寶，
不善人之所保。
美言可以市，尊行可以加人。
人之不善，何棄之有？
故立天子，置三公，
雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐進此道。
古之所以貴此道者何？不曰以求得，有罪以免邪？故為天下貴。
王弼注
待校读奧，猶曖也。可得庇蔭之辭。
寶以為用也。
保以全也。
言道無所不先，物無有貴於此也。雖有珍寶璧馬，無以匹之，美言之則可以奪眾貨之賈，故曰，美言可以市也，尊行之則千里之外應之，故曰，可以加於人也。
不善當保道以免放。
言以尊行道也。
此道，上之所云也。言故立天子、置三公，尊其位、重其人，所以為道也。物無有貴於此者。故雖有拱抱寶璧以先，駟馬而進之，不如坐而進此道也。
以求則得求，以免則得免，無所而不施，故為天下貴也。
河上公章句
待校读奧，藏也。道為萬物之藏，無所不容也。
善人以道為身寶，不敢違也。
道者，不善人之保倚也。遭患逢急，猶自知悔卑下。
美言者獨可於市耳。夫市交易而退，不相宜善言美語，求者欲疾得，賣者欲疾售也。
加，別也。人有尊貴之行，可以別異於凡人，未足以尊道。
人雖不善，當以道化之。蓋三皇之前，無有棄民，德化淳也。
欲使教化不善之人。
雖有美璧先駟馬而至，故不如坐進此道。
古之所以貴此道者，不日日遠行求索，近得之於身。
有罪謂遭亂世，闇君妄行形誅，修道則可以解死，免於眾也。
道德洞遠，無不覆濟，全身治國，恬然無為，故可為天下貴也。
Legge 1891
Public domainTao has of all things the most honoured place.
No treasures give good men so rich a grace;
Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.
(Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds
can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are
not abandoned by it.
Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of
Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a
prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill
both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in
the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of)
this Tao, which one might present on his knees.
Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not
because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape
(from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all
under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.