12.1. 颜渊问仁，子曰：“克己复礼为仁。一日克己复礼，天下归仁焉。为仁由己，而由人乎哉？”颜渊曰：“请问其目？”子曰：“非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动。”颜渊曰：“回虽不敏，请事斯语矣。”
Yan Yuan asked about benevolence. The Master said, "A benevolent man will control himself in conformity with the rules of propriety. Once every man can control himself in conformity with the rules of propriety, the world will be in good order. Benevolence depends on oneself, not on others." Yan Yuan asked about the details. The Master said, "Do not look at anything nor listen to anything nor speak of anything nor do anything against the rules of propriety." Then Yan Yuan said, "Dull as I am, I would put your instruction into practice."
12.2. 仲弓问仁，子曰：“出门如见大宾，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施于人。在邦无怨，在家无怨。”仲弓曰：“雍虽不敏，请事斯语矣。”
Zhong Gong asked about benevolence. The Master said, "Behave out-of-doors as if you were before a very important person. Serve the people as if you were attending a very important sacrificical service. Do not do to others what you would not have others do to you. Do nothing to bring a complaint against you at home or abroad." Zhong Gong said, "Dull as I am, I would put your instruction into practice."
12.3. 司马牛问仁，子曰：“仁者，其言也讱。”曰：“其言也讱，斯谓之仁已乎？”子曰：“为之难，言之得无讱乎？”
Sima Niu asked about benevolence. The Master said, "A benevolent man is cautious in speaking." Sima Niu said, "Is it benevolence to be cautious only in speaking?" The Master said, "Could a benevolent man not be cautious in speaking when he finds it difficult to put what he says into practice?"
12.4. 司马牛问君子，子曰：“君子不忧不惧。”曰：“不忧不惧，斯谓之君子已乎？”子曰：“内省不疚，夫何忧何惧？”
Sima Niu asked about an intelligentleman. The Master said, "An intelligentleman has no worry and no fear." Sima Niu said, "Can he be an intelligentleman, who simply has no worry and no fear?" The Master said, "If a man finds nothing wrong on looking within himself, what is there to worry about and to fear?"
12.5. 司马牛忧曰：“人皆有兄弟，我独亡。”子夏曰：“商闻之矣：死生有命，富贵在天。君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼，四海之内皆兄弟也。君子何患乎无兄弟也？”
Sima Niu said worriedly, "Other men have brothers, but I have none." Zi Xia said, "I have heard that life and death are decided by fate, and wealth and honor depend on Heaven. A cultured man will respect others and will not go beyond what is right. If he is respectful and observes the rules of propriety, then all men within the four seas will be fraternal to him. Why need he worry about having no brothers?".
12.6. 子张问明，子曰：“浸润之谮，肤受之愬，不行焉，可谓明也已矣；浸润之谮、肤受之愬不行焉，可谓远也已矣。”
Zi Zhang asked about clear sight. The Master said, "Invulnerable to soaking slander and burning pain, one may be said to be clear-sighted. Proof against soaking slander and burning pain, one may be said to be long-sighted."
12.7. 子贡问政，子曰：“足食，足兵，民信之矣。”子贡曰：“必不得已而去，于斯三者何先？”曰：“去兵。”子贡曰：“必不得已而去，于斯二者何先？”曰：“去食。自古皆有死，民无信不立。”
Zi Gong asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "A country must have enough food, enough forces, and faith of the people." Zi Gong said, "Which of the three may be dispensed with if obliged to?" The Master said, "Military forces." Zi Gong asked, "Which of the two remaining may be dispensed with if obliged to?" The Master said, "Food. Though people will die without food, yet it is so since the olden days. But without the faith of the people, a country cannot stand."
12.8. 棘子成曰：“君子质而已矣，何以文为？”子贡曰：“惜乎，夫子之说君子也！驷不及舌。文犹质也，质犹文也。虎豹之鞟犹犬羊之鞟。”
Ji Zi Cheng said, "What a cultured man needs is only the inner matter. What is the use of the outer manner?" Zi Gong said, "It is a pity that you should have said that! Four steeds cannot overtake your words. The manner is as important as the matter and the matter is as important as the manner. If a tiger had not its yellow skin and black stripes or a leopard had not its yellowish coat and dark spots, what is the difference between their hide and the sheepskin?"
12.9. 哀公问于有若曰：“年饥，用不足，如之何？”有若对曰：“盍彻乎？”曰：“二，吾犹不足，如之何其彻也？”对曰：“百姓足，君孰与不足？百姓不足，君孰与足？”
Duke Ai inquired of Master You, saying, "In the year of famine, the state has not enough for its needs. What can I do?" Master You said, "Why not tithe the people?" The duke said, "With two-tenths I have not enough, What could I do with one-tenth?" Master You said, "If the people have enough, the prince will not be in want. If the people are in want, how can the prince have enough?"
12.10. 子张问崇德、辨惑，子曰：“主忠信，徙义，崇德也。爱之欲其生，恶之欲其死；既欲其生又欲其死，是惑也。‘诚不以富，亦只以异。’”
Zi Zhang asked how to promote virtue and solve a dilemma. The Master said, "Be sincere and faithful and follow what is right, that is the way to promote virtue. If you love a man and wish him to live, and then hate him and wish him to die, you are in a dilemma." It is said in the Book of Odes: "I cans't bear your disdain, So I go back with pain," (Disdain shows your hate and pain reveals your love.)
12.11. 齐景公问政于孔子，孔子对曰：“君君，臣臣，父父，子子。”公曰：“善哉！信如君不君、臣不臣、父不父、子不子，虽有粟，吾得而食诸？”
Duke Jing of the State of Qi asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "In a country the prince should be a prince, the minister a minister, the father a father, the son a son." The duke said, "How true it is! If prince, minister, father, son do not do their duty, how can I enjoy my revenue though I have plenty?"
12.12. 子曰：“片言可以折狱者，其由也与？”子路无宿诺。
The Master said, "It is Zi Lu who could settle a lawsuit with half a word." Zi Lu did not put off what he had promised till the next day.
12.13. 子曰：“听讼，吾犹人也。必也使无讼乎。”
As a judge in the court, said the Master, I am no better than other judges. But I would like nobody to go to law.
12.14. 子张问政，子曰：“居之无倦，行之以忠。”
Zi Zhang asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "Be indefatigable in office and sincere in practice."
12.15. 子曰：“博学于文，约之以礼，亦可以弗畔矣夫。”
A cultured man, said the Master, if wide read in literature and restrained by the rites, would not overstep what is right.
12.16. 子曰：“君子成人之美，不成人之恶；小人反是。”
A cultured man, said the Master, will help others in doing good, not in doing wrong. An uncultured man will do the contrary.
12.17. 季康子问政于孔子，孔子对曰：“政者，正也。子帅以正，孰敢不正？”
Ji Kang Zi asked Confucius about the art of ruling. Confucius said, "To rule is to do what is right. If the ruler only does what is right, how dare the ruled do wrong?"
12.18. 季康子患盗，问于孔子。孔子对曰：“苟子之不欲，虽赏之不窃。”
Troubled by the thieves, Ji Kang Zi asked Confucius how to do away with them. Confucius replied, "If you were not covetous, none would steal even if paid to."
12.19. 季康子问政于孔子曰：“如杀无道以就有道，何如？”孔子对曰：“子为政，焉用杀？子欲善而民善矣。君子之德风，小人之德草，草上之风必偃。”
Asking about the art of ruling, Ji Kang Zi said to Confucius, "What do you think of killing the evil-doer to protect the good people?" Confucius replied, "Why should you kill to rule? If you rule in the right way, people will be good. The relation between the ruler and the ruled is like that between the wind and the grass. When the wind blows, the grass will bend down."
12.20. 子张问：“士何如斯可谓之达矣？”子曰：“何哉尔所谓达者？”子张对曰：“在邦必闻，在家必闻。”子曰：“是闻也，非达也。夫达也者，质直而好义，察言而观色，虑以下人。在邦必达，在家必达。夫闻也者，色取仁而行违，居之不疑。在邦必闻，在家必闻。”
Zi Zhang asked, "How can an intellectual be influential?" The Master said, "What do you mean by 'influential'?" Zi Zhang replied, "To be wellknown in the state and in the house of his lord." The Master said, "Then what you mean is renown, not influence. An influential man should do and love what is right. He should examine the people's countenance and observe their expressions, and think of others before himself. Then he will be influential in the state and in the house of his lord. A man of renown may appear good but do the contrary. He may think of himself before others without doubting about himself. So he becomes only wellknown in the state and in the house of his lord."
12.21. 樊迟从游于舞雩之下，曰：“敢问崇德、修慝、辨惑。”子曰：“善哉问！先事后得，非崇德与？攻其恶，无攻人之恶，非修慝与？一朝之忿，忘其身，以及其亲，非惑与？”
Fan Chi asked the Master while taking a walk with him at Rain Altar, "May I venture to ask how to promote virtue, amend faults and distinguish right from wrong?" The Master said, "Good questions! If you do your work before you get your reward, is it not to promote virtue? If you criticize your own shortcomings instead of those of others, is it not to amend your faults? If you are outrageous beyond yourself in a fit of anger, to the detriment of your parents, can you distinguish right from wrong?"
12.22. 樊迟问仁，子曰：“爱人。”问知，子曰：“知人。”樊迟未达，子曰：“举直错诸枉，能使枉者直。”樊迟退，见子夏，曰：“乡也吾见于夫子而问知，子曰：‘举直错诸枉，能使枉者直’，何谓也？”子夏曰：“富哉言乎！舜有天下，选于众，举皋陶，不仁者远矣。汤有天下，选于众，举伊尹，不仁者远矣。”
Fan Chi asked about a good ruler. The Master said, "A good ruler loves the ruled." Fan Chi asked about a wise ruler. The Master said, "A wise ruler knows the ruled." Fan Chi did not quite understand. The Master said, "Put the straight above the crooked, the crooked will be straightened." Fan Chi withdrew and said to Zi Xia, "I have just asked our Master about the wise ruler, our Master said, 'Put the straight above the crooked, the crooked will be straightened.' What does he mean?" Zi Xia said, "How rich in meaning his words are! When Shun ruled over the country, he selected Gao Tao as his minister and those who were not good were kept away. When Tang ruled over the country, he selected Yi Yin as his minister, and those who were not good were kept away."
12.23. 子贡问友，子曰：“忠告而善道之，不可则止，毋自辱焉。”
Zi Gong asked how to make friends. The Master said, "Give earnest advice in good terms. Stop if it is rejected, lest you be insulted."
12.24. 曾子曰：“君子以文会友，以友辅仁。”
Master Zeng said, "A cultured man will make friends with men of letters, and his friends will help him to promote virtue."