The Family Instructions of Zhu Xi

君之所貴者，仁也。臣之所貴者，忠也。

What rulers should cherish is being humane, and what officials should cherish is being loyal.

父之所貴者，慈也。子之所貴者，孝也。

What parents should cherish is nurturing the young, and what children should cherish is revering the family.

兄之所貴者，友也。弟之所貴者，恭也。

What elder siblings should cherish is being amicable, and what younger siblings should cherish is being respectful.

夫之所貴者，和也。婦之所貴者，柔也。

What husbands should cherish is being harmonious, and what wives should cherish is being tender and gentle.

事師長貴乎禮也，交朋友貴乎信也。

In service to teachers and elders, we should accord with ritual propriety, and in interactions with friends, we should value trust.

見老者，敬之；見幼者，愛之。

View the elderly with respect; view children with love.

有德者，年雖下於我，我必尊之；不肖者，年雖高於我，我必遠之。

Honor virtuous people even if they are younger than we are; keep our distance from worthless characters even if they are older than we are.

慎勿談人之短，切莫矜己之長。

Be careful not to gossip about others’ weaknesses, and don’t be eager to display your own strengths.

仇者以義解之，怨者以直報之，隨所遇而安之。

Use what is fair to reconcile with a foe, use what is upright to respond to those with resentments, and according to the responses we encounter, make peace with them.

人有小過，含容而忍之；人有大過，以理而諭之。

With tolerance, endure those who make small errors; with reasoning instruct those who make big mistakes.

勿以善小而不為，勿以惡小而為之。

Do not avoid doing a good deed even if it seems trivial, and do not commit an evil act even if it seems small.

人有惡，則掩之；人有善，則揚之。

Gloss over people’s vices, and propagate their virtues.

處世無私仇，治家無私法。

Regulate social affairs without personal enmity; manage household affairs without personal favoritism.

勿損人而利己，勿妒賢而嫉能。

Do not benefit oneself at the expense of others, and do not envy the worthy or become jealous of the capable.

勿稱忿而報橫逆，勿非禮而害物命。

Do not let anger be an excuse for responding unreasonably and rebelliously; do not irreverently harm living things.

見不義之財勿取，遇合理之事則從。

Do not acquire wealth that does not accord with what is fair; when you encounter equitable opportunities, follow principle.

詩書不可不讀，禮義不可不知。

The Classics of Poetry and History must be studied, because what is proper and appropriate must be discerned.

子孫不可不教，僮僕不可不恤。

Children and grandchildren must be instructed; workers and child servants must be treated compassionately.

斯文不可不敬，患難不可不扶。

This culture must be respected, and hardships must be shared and alleviated.

守我之份者，禮也；聽我之命者，天也。

It is through propriety that we preserve our share; it is through the Heavens that we heed our destiny.

人能如是，天必相之。

If people are able to comply with all of these precepts, the Heavens will surely assist them.

此乃日用常行之道，若衣服之於身體，飲食之於口腹，不可一日無也，可不慎哉！

Just like clothes for our bodies and food for our digestion, these daily ethical practices must not be neglected even for a day, so we must be prudent and diligent!

朱子家訓中英文版由美國田浩教授翻譯, 經朱子之路朱子學專家學者認證, 於2010年10月19日溫州運營會議上正式通過發布