Hexagram 48: 井 (jǐng)
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.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
巽乎水而上水，井；井養而不窮也。改邑不改井，乃以剛中也。汔至亦未繘井，未有功也。羸其瓶，是以凶也。
The image (大象)
木上有水，井；君子以勞民勸相。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – – | 井收勿幕，有孚元吉。 | The topmost line, divided, shows (the water from) the well brought to the top, which is not allowed to be covered. This suggests the idea of sincerity. There will be great good fortune. | 57 |
| 5 — | 井冽，寒泉食。 | The fifth line, undivided, shows a clear, limpid well, (the waters from) whose cold spring are (freely) drunk. | 46 |
| 4 – – | 井甃，无咎。 | The fourth line, divided, shows a well, the lining of which is well laid. There will be no error. | 28 |
| 3 — | 井渫不食，為我心惻，可用汲，王明，並受其福。 | The third line, undivided, shows a well, which has been cleared out, but is not used. Our hearts are sorry for this, for the water might be drawn out and used. If the king were (only) intelligent, both he and we might receive the benefit of it. | 29 |
| 2 — | 井谷射鮒，瓮敝漏。 | The second line, undivided, shows a well from which by a hole the water escapes and flows away to the shrimps (and such small creatures among the grass), or one the water of which leaks away from a broken basket. | 39 |
| 1 – – | 井泥不食，舊井无禽。 | The first line, divided, shows a well so muddy that men will not drink of it; or an old well to which neither birds (nor other creatures) resort. | 5 |
Lines are numbered from the bottom. Each line page shows the line text with its small image commentary; each “changes to” link opens the reading for that changing line.
Related hexagrams
- Inverse (lines in reverse order): hexagram 47
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 21 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 38
English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 16 (1882) — public domain; OCR text of the 1882 printing, checked against the proofread hexagrams. Chinese: Zhou Yi from Chinese Wikisource.
Character glossary
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
- 邑yìarea, district, city, state
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 井jǐngwell, mine shaft, pit
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 喪sàngmourning; mourn; funeral
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 汔qìnearby
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 繘yùrope
- 羸léiexhausted, weak; emaciated, lean
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 瓶píngbottle, jug, pitcher, vase
- 凶xiōngculprit; murder; bad, sad
- 泥nímud, earth, clay; plaster, paste
- 食shífood; to eat
- 舊jiùold, ancient; former, past
- 禽qínbirds, fowl; to capture; surname
- 谷gǔvalley, gorge, ravine
- 射shèto shoot, to eject, to emit
- 鮒fùcarp, Carassius auratus
- 瓮wèngurn, earthen jar
- 敝bìto break, to destroy; ruined, tattered
- 漏lòuto leak, to drip; hour glass; funnel
- 渫xièto scatter, to disperse; high tide
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 惻cèanguished; sympathetic
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 汲jíto draw water at a well; to imbibe
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 並bìngto combine, to annex; also, what's more
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 福fúhappiness, good fortune, blessings
- 甃zhòubrick wall of a well
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 冽liècold and raw; pure, clear
- 寒hánchilly, cold; poor; to shiver, to trembl
- 泉quánspring, fountain; wealth, money
- 收shōuto collect, to gather, to harvest
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 幕mùcurtain, screen, tent; measure word for
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 孚fúto brood over eggs; to have confidence
- 元yuánfirst; dollar; origin; head
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
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.