Hexagram 21 噬嗑 changing to hexagram 48 井
Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
What to read
All six lines change: read the judgment of the resulting hexagram. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)
Judgment of hexagram 48 井
改邑不改井，无喪无得，往來井井。汔至亦未繘井。羸其瓶，凶。
(Looking at) Zing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil.
The two hexagrams
Hexagram 21 噬嗑 — judgment
亨。利用獄。
Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints.
Hexagram 48 井 — judgment
改邑不改井，无喪无得，往來井井。汔至亦未繘井。羸其瓶，凶。
(Looking at) Zing, (we think of) how (the site of) a town may be changed, while (the fashion of) its wells undergoes no change. (The water of a well) never disappears and never receives (any great) increase, and those who come and those who go can draw and enjoy the benefit. If (the drawing) have nearly been accomplished, but, before the rope has quite reached the water, the bucket is broken, this is evil.
The changing lines of hexagram 21
| Line | Chinese | Legge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 屨校滅趾，无咎。 | The first line, undivided, shows one with his feet in the stocks and deprived of his toes. There will be no error. |
| 2 | 噬膚滅鼻，无咎。 | The second line, divided, shows one biting through the soft flesh, and (going on to) bite off the nose. There will be no error. |
| 3 | 噬昔肉，遇毒；小吝，无咎。 | The third line, divided, shows one gnawing dried flesh, and meeting with what is disagreeable. There will be occasion for some small regret, but no (great) error. |
| 4 | 噬乾胏，得金矢，利艱貞，吉。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows one gnawing the flesh dried on the bone, and getting the pledges of money and arrows. It will be advantageous to him to realise the difficulty of his task and be firm,—in which case there will be good fortune. |
| 5 | 噬乾肉，得黃金，貞厲，无咎。 | The fifth line, divided, shows one gnawing at dried flesh, and finding the yellow gold. Let him be firm and correct, realising the peril (of his position). There will be no error. |
| 6 | 何校滅耳，凶。 | The sixth line, undivided, shows one wearing the cangue, and deprived of his ears. There will be evil. |
English: James Legge (1882), public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi.
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.