原文
公有领域民不畏威，則大威至。無狎其所居，無厭其所生。
夫唯不厭，
是以不厭。
是以聖人自知不自見，
自愛不自貴；
故去彼取此。
王弼注
待校读清靜無為謂之居，謙後不盈謂之生，離其清淨，行其躁欲，棄其謙後，任其威權，則物擾而民僻，威不能復制民，民不能堪其威，則上下大潰矣，天誅將至。故曰，民不畏威，則大威至。無狎其所居，無厭其所生，言威力不可任也。
不自厭也。
不自厭，是以天下莫之厭。
不自見其所知，以光耀行威也。
自貴則物狎厭居生。
河上公章句
待校读威，害也。人不畏小害則大害至。大害者，謂死亡也。畏之者當愛精神，承天順地也。
謂心居神，當寬柔，不當急狹也。
人所以生者，以有精神。託空虛，喜清靜，飲食不節，忽道念色，邪僻滿腹，為伐本厭神也。
夫唯獨不厭精神之人，洗心濯垢，恬泊無欲，則精神居之不厭也。
自知己之得失，不自顯見德美於外，藏之於內。
自愛其身以保精氣，不自貴高榮名於世。
去彼自見、自貴，取此自知、自愛。
Legge 1891
Public domainWhen the people do not fear what they ought to fear, that which
is their great dread will come on them.
Let them not thoughtlessly indulge themselves in their ordinary
life; let them not act as if weary of what that life depends on.
It is by avoiding such indulgence that such weariness does not
arise.
Therefore the sage knows (these things) of himself, but does not
parade (his knowledge); loves, but does not (appear to set a) value
on, himself. And thus he puts the latter alternative away and makes
choice of the former.