Analects 15.37
The Analects (論語), BOOK XV. WEI LING KUNG 衞靈公第十五
子曰、事君敬其事、而後其食。
The Master said, "A minister, in serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties, and makes his emolument a secondary consideration."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 敬jìngto respect, to honor; respectfully
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 食shífood; to eat
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.