13.1. 子路問政，子曰：“先之，勞之。”請益，曰：“無倦。”
Zi Lu asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "Lead the people and labor together with them." Zi Lu asked for more. The Master said, "Labor indefatigably."
13.2. 仲弓為季氏宰，問政，子曰：“先有司，赦小過，舉賢才。”曰：“焉知賢才而舉之？”子曰：“舉爾所知。爾所不知，人其舍諸？”
Zhong Gong who became minister of the Ji Family asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "Lead your subordinate officials, pardon their minor faults and promote those who have talent." Zhong Gong asked how to discover talents. The Master said, "Select those whom you know. As for those whom you know not, do you think others will neglect them?"
13.3. 子路曰：“衛君待子而為政，子將奚先？”子曰：“必也正名乎！”子路曰：“有是哉，子之迂也！奚其正？”子曰：“野哉，由也！君子於其所不知，蓋闕如也。名不正、則言不順，言不順則事不成，事不成則禮樂不興，禮樂不興則刑罰不中，刑罰不中則民無所措手足。故君子名之必可言也，言之必可行也。君子於其言，無所苟而已矣。”
Zi Lu said, "The Prince of Wei is waiting for you to rule over his country. What will you do first?" The Master said, "First of all, things must be properly named." Zi Lu said, "How can you be so far from reality? Why should things be properly named first of all?" The Master said, "How rude you are, Zi Lu! A cultured man will keep silent on what he does not know. If things are not properly named, then what you say about them cannot be right. If what you say is not right, how can you accomplish a task? If you cannot accomplish a task, how can ritual and music be properly performed? If ritual and music cannot be properly performed, how can punishment be adequately carried out? If punishment cannot be adequate, how can people know right from wrong? Therefore, a cultured man will first of all name the things properly so that what he says may be right. If what he says is right, then it can be properly carried out. Whatever a cultured man says must not be improper and incorrect, that is all I mean."
13.4. 樊遲請學稼，子曰：“吾不如老農。“請學為圃，曰：“吾不如老圃。”樊遲出。子曰：'小人哉，樊須也！上好禮，則民莫敢不敬；上好義，則民莫敢不服；上好信，則民莫敢不用情。夫如是，則四方之民繈負其子而至矣，焉用稼？”
When Fan Chi asked about farming. The Master said, "I am no better than an old farmer." When asked about gardening, the Master said "I am no better than an old gardener." When Fan Chi had gone out, the Master said, "Fan Chi is indeed an uncultured man. If the ruler loves the rites, no people would be disrespectful. If the ruler loves what is right, no people would be disobedient. If the ruler loves the truth, no people would disregard reality. If such is the case, then people from all the corners of the earth would come to him with their babies strapped on their back. Why need he learn farming?"
13.5. 子曰：“誦《詩》三百，授之以政，不達；使於四方，不能專對；雖多，亦奚以為？”
If a man versed in three hundred poems, said the Master, cannot discharge the office entrusted to him, nor can he fulfill the mission when sent abroad, what then is the use of being wide read?
13.6. 子曰：“其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不從。”
An upright ruler, said the Master, will be obeyed though he gives no order. If he is not upright, he will not be obeyed though he gives orders.
13.7. 子曰：“魯衛之政，兄弟也。”
Lu and Wei, said the Master, are brother states. Neither is better nor worse than the other in politics.
13.8. 子謂衛公子荊，“善居室。始有，曰：‘苟合矣。’少有，曰：‘苟完矣。’富有，曰：‘苟美矣。’”
The Master said of Jing, a scion of the ducal family of Wei, "He knew well how to lead an economic life. When he began to have means, he said that he had almost enough. When he had a little more, he said that he was almost full. When he was rich, he said that it could not be better."
13.9. 子適衛，冉有僕，子曰：“庶矣哉！”冉有曰：“既庶矣，又何加焉？”曰：“富之。”曰：“既富矣，又何加焉？”曰：“教之。”
The Master went his way to Wei and Ran You drove the carriage for him. The Master said, "What a large population!" Ran You said, "What should be done to such a large population?" The Master said, "Enrich them!" Ran You said, "What should be done when they are enriched?" The Master said, "Educate them!"
13.10. 子曰：“苟有用我者，期月而已可也，三年有成。”
If any prince should employ me, said the Master, one year would be enough to show what I can do, and three years would show what I can accomplish.
13.11. 子曰：“‘善人為邦百年，亦可以勝殘去殺矣。’誠哉是言也！”
If good men, said the Master, were to rule the state for a hundred years, violence and slaughter would be done away with. But how could it come true?
13.12. 子曰：“如有王者，必世而後仁。”
Even a truly royal ruler, said the Master, would need a generation to make virtue prevail among the people.
13.13. 子曰：“苟正其身矣，於從政乎何有？不能正其身，如正人何？”
If the ruler is right, said the Master, he need not worry about how to rule the state. If he is not right, how can he put other people right?
13.14. 冉子退朝，子曰：“何晏也？”對曰：“有政。”子曰：“其事也。如有政，雖不吾以，吾其與聞之。”
Once when Ran You came back from court, the Master said, "Why are you so late?" Ran You said, "There were political affairs." The Master said, "It must have been only administrative business. If there had been political affairs, I should have been consulted though I am not in office now."
13.15. 定公問：“一言而可以興邦，有諸？”孔子對曰：“言不可以若是。其幾也。人之言曰：‘為君難，為臣不易。’如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？”曰：“一言而喪邦，有諸？”孔子對曰：“言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰：‘予無樂乎為君，唯其言而莫予違也。’如其善而莫之違也，不亦善乎？如不善而莫之違也，不幾乎一言而喪邦乎？”
Duke Ding asked whether there was a word which could make a country prosperous. Confucius said, "A word could hardly do that. But I have heard that it is difficult to be a prince and not easy to be a minister. If a ruler really understands that, can we not say that a word may nearly prosper a country?" Duke Ding asked then whether there was a word which could ruin a country. Confucius said, "A word could hardly do that. But I have heard that a prince finds no pleasure but in that none oppose to what he says. If what he says is right and opposed by none, it is very good. But if what he says is wrong and opposed by none, then is it not a word which may nearly ruin a country?"
13.16. 葉公問政，子曰：“近者說，遠者來。”
The Duke of She asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "Make the near happy to stay and the far-off happy to come."
13.17. 子夏為莒父宰，問政，子曰：“無欲速，無見小利。欲速則不達，見小利則大事不成。”
Zi Xia who became governor of Jufu asked about the art of ruling. The Master said, "Be neither hasty nor partial! For haste makes waste, and partiality loses entirety."
13.18. 葉公語孔子曰：“吾黨有直躬者，其父攘羊，而子證之。”孔子曰：“吾黨之直者异於是。父為子隱，子為父隱，直在其中矣。”
The Duke of She said to Confucius, "A straightforward man in my country accused his father when he had stolen a sheep." Confucius said, "A straightforward man in mine is different. The father would conceal his son's misconduct and the son would conceal his father's. In this we see the relation of a family."
13.19. 樊遲問仁，子曰：“居處恭，執事敬，與人忠。雖之夷狄，不可弃也。”
Fan Chi asked about the good man. The Master said, "A good man respects himself in private life, and respects others in public life. Trustworthy in business, he remains the same though among uncivilized tribes."
13.20. 子貢問曰：“何如斯可謂之士矣？”子曰：“行己有耻，使於四方不辱君命，可謂士矣。”曰：“敢問其次。”曰：“宗族稱孝焉，鄉黨稱弟焉。”曰：“敢問其次。”曰：“言必信，行必果，踁踁然小人哉！抑亦可以為次矣。”曰：“今之從政者何如？”子曰：“噫！鬥筲之人，何足算也！”
Zi Gong asked what kind of man may be called an official. The Master said, "A man ashamed of his misbehavior and loyal to the prince's commission when sent abroad may be called an official." Zi Gong said, "May I venture to ask what kind of man may rank next?" The Master said, "A man commended by his relatives for filial piety and by his fellow villagers for deference to the elders." When asked what ranks still next, the Master said, "A man faithful in word and in deed, busy all day long like common. people of lower class may perhaps rank next." When asked how about the officials in the government, the Master said, "Pooh! They are mere thimblefuls, not worth taking into account."
13.21. 子曰：“不得中行而與之，必也狂狷乎！狂者進取，狷者有所不為也。”
If I cannot find men, said the Master, who follow the middle way, I would rather have the radical and the moderate. The radical would advance and the moderate would not do anything wrong.
13.22. 子曰：“南人有言曰：‘人而無恒，不可以作巫醫。’善夫！”“不恒其德，或承之羞。”子曰：“不占而已矣。”
The Master said, "It is said in the south that a man without constancy cannot make a good witch-doctor. Well said!" It is said in the Book of Change "Inconstancy will lead to disgrace." The Master said, "This simply discourages the inconstant from initiating into witchcraft."
13.23. 子曰：“君子和而不同，小人同而不和。”
A cultured man, said the Master, may disagree to reach an agreement, while an uncultured man dare not disagree but agrees without understanding.
13.24. 子貢問曰：“鄉人皆好之，何如？”子曰：“未可也。”“鄉人皆惡之，何如？”子曰：“未可也。不如鄉人之善者好之，其不善者惡之。”
Zi Gong asked, "What do you think of a man loved by all his countrymen?" The Master said, "I do not think he is good enough." When asked about a man disliked by all his countrymen, the Master said, "I am not sure he is bad. I would prefer a man loved by the good countrymen and disliked by the bad ones."
13.25. 子曰：“君子易事而難說也，說之不以道不說也，及其使人也器之；小人難事而易說也，說之雖不以道說也，及其使人也求備焉。”
It is easy to serve, said the Master, but difficult to please a cultured man, for he will not be pleased but in the right way, and he employs men according to their abilities. It is difficult to serve, but easy to please un uncultured man, for he may be pleased though not in the right way, but he expects the employed equal to everything.
13.26. 子曰：“君子泰而不驕，小人驕而不泰。”
A cultured man, said the Master, is dignified and not proud, while an uncultured man is proud and not dignified.
13.27. 子曰：“剛、毅、木、訥近仁。”
Strong and steady, said the Master, wooden and wordless, such a man is nearly a good man.
13.28. 子路問曰：“何如斯可謂之士矣？”子曰：“切切偲偲，怡怡如也，可謂士矣。朋友切切偲偲，兄弟怡怡。”
Zi Lu asked what kind of man might be called a cultured man. The Master said, "He should be helpful and peaceful: helpful to friends and peaceful among brothers."
13.29. 子曰：“善人教民七年，亦可以即戎矣。”
The people, said the Master, trained by good teachers for seven years, may be employed in war.
13.30. 子曰：“以不教民戰，是謂弃之。”
It would be a useless sacrifice, said the Master, to employ untrained people in war.