4.1. 子曰：“里仁为美。择不处仁，焉得知？”
Good neighborhood, said the Master, adds beauty to life. If a man does not choose good neighborhood, how can he be called wise?
4.2. 子曰：“不仁者不可以久处约，不可以长处乐。仁者安仁，知者利仁。”
A man without virtue, said the Master, cannot endure adversity nor enjoy prosperity for long. A good man is content to be good; a wise man knows it pays to be good.
4.3. 子曰：“唯仁者能好人，能恶人。”
Only a benevolent man, said the Master, can love the good and dislike the wrong.
4.4. 子曰：“苟志于仁矣，无恶也。”
If a man, said the Master, has made up his mind to be good, he will do no wrong.
4.5. 子曰：“富与贵是人之所欲也，不以其道得之，不处也；贫与贱是人之所恶也，不以其道得之，不去也。君子去仁，恶乎成名？君子无终食之间违仁，造次必于是，颠沛必于是。”
Wealth and rank, said the Master, are what men desire. If they could be attained only in an improper way, they should be relinguished. Poverty and obscurity are what men dislike, if they could be avoided only in an improper way, they should be endured. If a man had no virtue, how could he be worthy of his fame? A cultured man cannot do anything contrary to virtue even for the shortest time of a meal. He must do nothing contrary to virtue even in haste or in distress.
4.6. 子曰：“我未见好仁者，恶不仁者。好仁者，无以尚之；恶不仁者，其为仁矣，不使不仁者加乎其身。有能一日用其力于仁矣乎？我未见力不足者。盖有之矣，我未之见也。”
I have not seen anyone, said the Master, who really loves virtue and abhors vice. If one really loves virtue, how could anyone else be better than he? If one abhors vice, it is because he is afraid that vice would do harm to him. Is there anyone who has practised virtue with all his might all the day long? I have not seen one. Perhaps there are some, but I have seen none.
4.7. 子曰：“人之过也，各于其党。观过，斯知仁矣。”
A man’s faults, said the Master, may reveal what kind of man he is. A man may be judged by his faults.
4.8. 子曰：“朝闻道，夕死可矣。”
If a man knows in the morning the right way of living, said the Master, he may die in the evening without regret.
4.9. 子曰：“士志于道，而耻恶衣恶食者，未足与议也。”
If an intellectual, said the Master, has made up his mind to find out the right way of life but feels ashamed of plain clothes and plain food, I do not think he is worth talking with.
4.10. 子曰：“君子之于天下也，无适也，无莫也，义之与比。”
A cultured man, said the Master, does not set his heart for or against anything in the world. He only does what is right.
4.11. 子曰：“君子怀德，小人怀土；君子怀刑，小人怀惠。”
A cultured man cares for virtue, said the Master, and an uncultured man for the land. The former cares for order and the latter for favor.
4.12. 子曰：“放于利而行，多怨。”
Those who do everything only in their own interest, said the Master, would arouse discontent.
4.13. 子曰：“能以礼让为国乎？何有？不能以礼让为国，如礼何？”
If a country can be governed, said the Master, in accordance with the ritual system, what more need I to say? If not, what is the use of the ritual system?
4.14. 子曰：“不患无位，患所以立；不患莫己知，求为可知也。”
Be more concerned, said the Master, with your mission than your position. Fear not that you are unknown, but that you are unworthy to be known.
4.15. 子曰：“参乎！吾道一以贯之。”曾子曰：“唯。”子出，门人问曰：“何谓也？”曾子曰：“夫子之道，忠恕而已矣。”
The Master said,“Shen, you know how my principles can be simplified.” Master Zeng Shen answered,“Yes.” When the Master was out, other disciples asked what the Master meant. Master Zeng said,“Our Master’s principles can be simplified into loyalty and leniency.”
4.16. 子曰：“君子喻于义，小人喻于利。”
A cultured man cares for what is proper and fit while an uncultured man cares for the profit.
4.17. 子曰：“见贤思齐焉，见不贤而内自省也。”
When you see a man better than you, said the Master, you should try to equal him. When you see a man doing wrong, you should ask yourself if you have done the same.
4.18. 子曰：“事父母几谏。见志不从，又敬不违，劳而不怨。”
In serving one’s parents, said the Master, one may make remonstrance. If it is rejected, the son should show no discontent, but resume an attitude of deference and reiterate his remonstrance without complaint.
4.19. 子曰：“父母在，不远游。游必有方。”
When father and mother are alive, said the Master, a good son should not go afar. If he does, they should be informed where he is going.
4.20. 子曰：“三年无改于父之道，可谓孝矣。”
A son, said the Master, who does not alter his father’s ways three years after his death may be called filial.
4.21. 子曰：“父母之年，不可不知也。一则以喜，一则以惧。”
The age of one’s parents, said the Master, should not be forgotten. Old age may bring comfort on the one hand and worry on the other.
4.22. 子曰：“古者言之不出，耻躬之不逮也。”
The ancients, said the Master, would not say what they could do, for they would be ashamed if their deeds disagreed with their words.
4.23. 子曰：“以约失之者鲜矣。”
Few would make mistakes, said the Master, who could control themselves in accordance with the rules of propriety.
4.24. 子曰：“君子欲讷于言而敏于行。”
A cultured man, said the Master, may be slow in word but prompt in deed.
4.25. 子曰：“德不孤，必有邻。”
A good man never feels lonely, said the Master, good neighbors will come up to him.
4.26. 子游 曰：“事君数，斯辱矣，朋友数，斯疏矣。”
Zi You said,“Repetition of remonstrances would lead to loss of favor in the service of a prince, and to estrangement in friendship.”