2.1 子曰：“为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共之。”
The Master said, “One who rules through the power of Virtue is analogous to the Pole Star: it simply remains in its place and receives the homage of the myriad lesser stars.”
2.2 子曰：“《诗》三百，一言以蔽之，曰：‘思无邪。’”
The Master said, “The Odes number several hundred, and yet can be judged with a single phrase: ‘Oh, they will not lead you astray.’”
2.3 子曰：“道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻；道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格。”
The Master said, “If you try to guide the common people with coercive regulations and keep them in line with punishments, the common people will become evasive and will have no sense of shame. If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep them in line by means of ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will rectify themselves.”
2.4 子曰：“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。”
The Master said, “At fifteen I set my mind upon learning; at thirty I took my place in society; at forty I became free of doubts; at fifty I understood Heaven’s Mandate; at sixty my ear was attuned; and at seventy I could follow my heart’s desires without overstepping the bounds of propriety.”
2.5 孟懿子问孝。子曰：“无违。”樊迟御，子告之曰：“孟孙问孝于我，我对曰，无违。”樊迟曰：“何谓也？”子曰：“生，事之以礼；死，葬之以礼，祭之以礼。”
Meng Yizi asked about filial piety. The Master replied, “Do not disobey.”
Later, Fan Chi was driving the Master’s chariot. The Master said to him, “Just now Meng Yizi asked me about filial piety, and I answered, ‘Do not disobey.’”
Fan Chi said, “What did you mean by that?”
The Master replied, “When your parents are alive, serve them in accordance with the rites; when they pass away, bury them in accordance with the rites and sacrifice to them in accordance with the rites.”
2.6 孟武伯问孝。子曰：“父母唯其疾之忧。”
Meng Wubo asked about filial piety. The Master replied, “Give your parents no cause for anxiety other than the possibility that they might fall ill.”
2.7 子游问孝。子曰：“今之孝者，是谓能养。至于犬马，皆能有养；不敬，何以别乎？”
Ziyou asked about filial piety. The Master said, “Nowadays ‘filial’ means simply being able to provide one’s parents with nourishment. But even dogs and horses are provided with nourishment. If you are not respectful, wherein lies the difference?”
2.8 子夏问孝。子曰：“色难。有事，弟子服其劳；有酒食，先生馔，曾是以为孝乎？”
Zixia asked about filial piety. The Master said, “It is the demeanor that is difficult. If there is work to be done, young people shoulder the burden, and when wine and food are served, elders are given precedence, but surely filial piety consists of more than this.”
2.9 子曰：“吾与回言终日，不违，如愚。退而省其私，亦足以发，回也不愚。”
The Master said, “I can talk all day long with Yan Hui without him once disagreeing with me. In this way, he seems a bit stupid. And yet when we retire and I observe his private behavior, I see that it is in fact worthy to serve as an illustration of what I have taught. Hui is not stupid at all.”
2.10 子曰：“视其所以，观其所由，察其所安。人焉廋哉？人焉廋哉？”
The Master said, “Look at the means a man employs, observe the basis from which he acts, and discover where it is that he feels at ease. Where can he hide? Where can he hide?”
2.11 子曰：“温故而知新，可以为师矣。”
The Master said, “Both keeping past teachings alive and understanding the present—someone able to do this is worthy of being a teacher.”
2.12 子曰：“君子不器。”
The Master said, “The gentleman is not a vessel.”
2.13 子贡问君子。子曰：“先行其言而后从之。”
Zigong asked about the gentleman.
The Master said, “He first expresses his views, and then acts in accordance with them.
2.14 子曰：“君子周而不比，小人比而不周。”
The Master said, “The gentleman is broad and not partial; the petty person is partial and not broad.”
2.15 子曰：“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。”
The Master said, “If you learn without thinking about what you have learned, you will be lost. If you think without learning, however, you will fall into danger.”
2.16 子曰：“攻乎异端，斯害也已。”
The Master said, “Working from the wrong starting point will lead to nothing but harm.”
2.17 子曰：“由！诲女知之乎！知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。”
The Master said, “Zilu, remark well what I am about to teach you! This is wisdom: to recognize what you know as what you know, and recognize what you do not know as what you do not know.”
2.18 子张学干禄。子曰：“多闻阙疑，慎言其馀，则寡尤。多见阙殆,慎行其馀,则寡悔。言寡尤，行寡悔，禄在其中矣。”
Zizhang asked about obtaining official position.
Confucius said, “If you first learn as much as you can, then guard against that which is dubious and speak carefully about the rest, you will seldom speak in error. If you first observe as much as you can, then guard against that which is perilous and carefully put the rest into action, you will seldom have cause for regret. If in your speech you seldom err, and in your behavior you seldom have cause for regret, an official position will follow naturally.”
2.19 哀公问曰：“何为则民服？”孔子对曰：“举直错诸枉，则民服；举枉错诸直，则民不服。”
Duke Ai asked, “What can I do to induce the common people to be obedient?”
Kongzi replied, “Raise up the straight and apply them to the crooked, and the people will submit to you. If you raise up the crooked and apply them to the straight, the people will never submit.”
2.20 季康子问：“使民敬、忠以劝，如之何？”子曰：“临之以庄，则敬；孝慈，则忠；举善而教不能，则劝。”
Ji Kangzi asked, “How can I cause the common people to be respectful, dutiful, and industrious?”
The Master said, “Oversee them with dignity, and the people will be respectful; oversee them with filiality and kindness, and the people will be dutiful; oversee them by raising up the accomplished and instructing those who are unable, and the people will be industrious.”
2.21 或谓孔子曰：“子奚不为政？”子曰：“《书》云：‘孝乎！惟孝，友于兄弟，施于有政。’是亦为政，奚其为为政？”
Some people said of Kongzi, “Why is it that he is not participating in government?”
[Upon being informed of this,] the Master remarked, “The History says,
'Filial, oh so filial,
Friendly to one’s elders and juniors;
[In this way] exerting an influence upon those who govern.'
Thus, in being a filial son and good brother one is already taking part in government. What need is there, then, to speak of ‘participating in government’?”
2.22 子曰：“人而无信，不知其可也。大车无輗，小车无軏，其何以行之哉？”
The Master said, “I cannot see how a person devoid of trustworthiness could possibly get along in the world. Imagine a large ox-drawn cart without a linchpin for its yolk, or a small horse drawn cart without a linchpin for its collar: how could they possibly be driven?”
2.23 子张问：“十世可知也？”子曰：“殷因于夏礼，所损益，可知也；周因于殷礼，所损益，可知也。其或继周者，虽百世，可知也。”
Zizhang asked, “Can we know what it will be like ten generations from now?”
The Master responded, “The Yin followed the rituals of the Xia, altering them only in ways that we know. The Zhou followed the rituals of the Yin, altering them only in ways that we know. If some dynasty succeeds the Zhou, we can know what it will be like even a hundred generations from now.”
2.24 子曰：“非其鬼而祭之，谄也。见义不为，无勇也。”
The Master said, “To sacrifice to spirits that are not one’s own is to be presumptuous. To see what is right, but to fail to do it, is to be lacking in courage.”