12.1. 顏淵問仁，子曰：“克己復禮為仁。一日克己復禮，天下歸仁焉。為仁由己，而由人乎哉？”顏淵曰：“請問其目？”子曰：“非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。”顏淵曰：“回雖不敏，請事斯語矣。”
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. 仲弓問仁，子曰：“出門如見大賓，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施於人。在邦無怨，在家無怨。”仲弓曰：“雍雖不敏，請事斯語矣。”
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. 司馬牛問仁，子曰：“仁者，其言也訒。”曰：“其言也訒，斯謂之仁已乎？”子曰：“為之難，言之得無訒乎？”
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. 司馬牛問君子，子曰：“君子不憂不懼。”曰：“不憂不懼，斯謂之君子已乎？”子曰：“內省不疚，夫何憂何懼？”
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. 司馬牛憂曰：“人皆有兄弟，我獨亡。”子夏曰：“商聞之矣：死生有命，富貴在天。君子敬而無失，與人恭而有禮，四海之內皆兄弟也。君子何患乎無兄弟也？”
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. 子張問明，子曰：“浸潤之譖，膚受之愬，不行焉，可謂明也已矣；浸潤之譖、膚受之愬不行焉，可謂遠也已矣。”
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. 子貢問政，子曰：“足食，足兵，民信之矣。”子貢曰：“必不得已而去，於斯三者何先？”曰：“去兵。”子貢曰：“必不得已而去，於斯二者何先？”曰：“去食。自古皆有死，民無信不立。”
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：“君子質而已矣，何以文為？”子貢曰：“惜乎，夫子之說君子也！駟不及舌。文猶質也，質猶文也。虎豹之鞟猶犬羊之鞟。”
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. 哀公問於有若曰：“年饑，用不足，如之何？”有若對曰：“盍徹乎？”曰：“二，吾猶不足，如之何其徹也？”對曰：“百姓足，君孰與不足？百姓不足，君孰與足？”
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. 子張問崇德、辨惑，子曰：“主忠信，徙義，崇德也。愛之欲其生，惡之欲其死；既欲其生又欲其死，是惑也。‘誠不以富，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. 齊景公問政於孔子，孔子對曰：“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，雖有粟，吾得而食諸？”
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：“片言可以折獄者，其由也與？”子路無宿諾。
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：“聽訟，吾猶人也。必也使無訟乎。”
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. 子張問政，子曰：“居之無倦，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：“博學於文，約之以禮，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，不成人之惡；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. 季康子問政於孔子，孔子對曰：“政者，正也。子帥以正，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. 季康子患盜，問於孔子。 孔子對曰：“苟子之不欲，雖賞之不竊。”
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. 季康子問政於孔子曰：“如殺無道以就有道，何如？”孔子對曰：“子為政，焉用殺？子欲善而民善矣。君子之德風，小人之德草，草上之風必偃。”
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. 子張問：“士何如斯可謂之達矣？”子曰：“何哉爾所謂達者？”子張對曰：“在邦必聞，在家必聞。”子曰：“是聞也，非達也。夫達也者，質直而好義，察言而觀色，慮以下人。在邦必達，在家必達。夫聞也者，色取仁而行違，居之不疑。在邦必聞，在家必聞。”
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. 樊遲從遊於舞雩之下，曰：“敢問崇德、修慝、辨惑。”子曰：“善哉問！先事後得，非崇德與？攻其惡，無攻人之惡，非修慝與？一朝之忿，忘其身，以及其親，非惑與？”
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. 樊遲問仁，子曰：“愛人。”問知，子曰：“知人。”樊遲未達，子曰：“舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直。”樊遲退，見子夏，曰：“鄉也吾見於夫子而問知，子曰：‘舉直錯諸枉，能使枉者直’，何謂也？”子夏曰：“富哉言乎！舜有天下，選於眾，舉皋陶，不仁者遠矣。湯有天下，選於眾，舉伊尹，不仁者遠矣。”
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. 子貢問友，子曰：“忠告而善道之，不可則止，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：“君子以文會友，以友輔仁。”
Master Zeng said, "A cultured man will make friends with men of letters, and his friends will help him to promote virtue."