原文
公有领域小國寡民，
使有什伯之器而不用，
使民重死而不遠徙。
雖有舟輿，無所乘之；雖有甲兵，無所陳之。
使人復結繩而用之，甘其食，美其服，安其居，樂其俗。鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死，不相往來。
王弼注
待校读國既小，民又寡，尚可使反古，況國大民眾乎？故舉小國而言也。
言使民雖有什伯之器而無所用，何患不足也。
使民不用，惟身是寶，不貪貨賂，故各安其居，重死而不遠徙也。
無所欲求。
河上公章句
待校读聖人雖治大國，猶以為小，儉約不奢泰。民雖眾，猶若寡少，不敢勞之也。
使民各有部曲什伯，貴賤不相犯也。
器謂農，人之器而不用，不徵召奪民良時也。
君能為民興利除害，各得其所，則民重死而貪生也。
政令不煩則民安其業，故不遠遷徙離其常處也。
清靜無為，不作煩華，不好出入遊娛也。
無怨惡於天下。
去文反質，信無欺也。
甘其蔬食，不漁食百姓也。
美其惡衣，不貴五色。
安其茅茨，不好文飾之屋。
樂其質樸之俗，不轉移也。
相去近也。
其無情欲。
Legge 1891
Public domainIn a little state with a small population, I would so order it,
that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a
hundred men, there should be no employment of them; I would make the
people, while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove
elsewhere (to avoid it).
Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion
to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they
should have no occasion to don or use them.
I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords (instead
of the written characters).
They should think their (coarse) food sweet; their (plain) clothes
beautiful; their (poor) dwellings places of rest; and their common
(simple) ways sources of enjoyment.
There should be a neighbouring state within sight, and the voices
of the fowls and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us, but I
would make the people to old age, even to death, not have any
intercourse with it.