Analects 12.18
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
季康子患盜、問於孔子。孔子對曰、苟子之不欲、雖賞之不竊。
Chi K'ang, distressed about the number of thieves in the state, inquired of Confucius how to do away with them. Confucius said, "If you, sir, were not covetous, although you should reward them to do it, they would not steal."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 季jìa quarter-year, a season; surname
- 康kānghealth; peace, quiet
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 患huànsuffering; misfortune; trouble; to suffe
- 盜dàoto rob, to steal; thief, bandit
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 孔kǒngopening, hole, orifice; great
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 苟gǒucareless, frivolous, illicit; but, if on
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 賞shǎngreward; to appreciate; to bestow, to gra
- 竊qièto steal; thief; secret, stealthy
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Analects 12.17
- Analects 12.19
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Mencius 7B.35
- Analects 11.6
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.