原文
公有领域其安易持，其未兆易謀。
其脆易泮，其微易散。
為之於未有，
治之於未亂。
合抱之木，生於毫末；九層之臺，起於累土；千里之行，始於足下。為者敗之，執者失之。
是以聖人無為故無敗，無執故無失。民之從事，常於幾成而敗之。
慎終如始，則無敗事。是以聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨；
學不學，復眾人之所過。
以輔萬物之自然，而不敢為。
王弼注
待校读以其安不忘危，持之不忘亡，謀之無功之勢，故曰易也。
雖失無入有，以其微脆之故，未足以興大功，故易也。此四者，皆說慎終也。不可以無之故而不持，不可以微之故而弗散也。無而弗持則生有焉，微而不散則生大焉。故慮終之患，如始之禍，則無敗事。
謂其安未兆也。
謂微脆也。
當以慎終除微，慎微除亂，而以施為治之，形名執之，反生事原，巧辟滋作，故敗失也。
不慎終也。
好欲雖微，爭尚為之，興難得之貨雖細，貪盜為之起也。
不學而能者，自然也，喻於不學者，過也。故學不學，以復眾人之過。
河上公章句
待校读治身治國安靜者，易守持也。
情欲禍患未有形兆時，易謀止也。
禍亂未動於朝，情欲未見於色，如脆弱易破除。
其未彰著，微小易散去也。
欲有所為，當於未有萌芽之時塞其端也。
治身治國於未亂之時，當豫閉其門也。
從小成大。
從卑立高。
從近至遠。
有為於事，廢於自然；有為於義，廢於仁；有為於色，廢於精神也。
執利遇患，執道全身，堅持不得，推讓反還。
聖人不為華文，不為色利，不為殘賊，故無壞敗。
聖人有德以教愚，有財以與貧，無所執藏，故無所失於人也。
從，為也。民之為事，常於功德幾成，而貪位好名，奢泰盈滿而自敗之也。
終當如始，不當懈怠。
聖人欲人所不欲。人欲彰顯，聖人欲伏光；人欲文飾，聖人欲質樸；人欲色，聖人欲於德。
聖人不眩為服，不賤石而貴玉。
聖人學人所不能學。人學智詐，聖人學自然；人學治世，聖人學治身；守道真也。
眾人學問反，過本為末，過實為華。復之者，使反本也。
教人反本實者，欲以輔助萬物自然之性也。
聖人動作因循，不敢有所造為，恐遠本也。
Legge 1891
Public domainThat which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing
has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures
against it; that which is brittle is easily broken; that which is very
small is easily dispersed. Action should be taken before a thing has
made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has
begun.
The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the
tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey
of a thousand li commenced with a single step.
He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes hold
of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not act
(so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and
therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of
affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of
success. If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the
beginning, they would not so ruin them.
Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does
not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not
learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by.
Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare
to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own).