Hexagram 49: 革 (gé)
Judgment
已日乃孚，元亨。利貞。悔亡。
(What takes place as indicated by) Ko is believed in only after it has been accomplished. There will be great progress and success. Advantage will come from being firm and correct. (In that case) occasion for repentance will disappear.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
革，水火相息，二女同居，其志不相得，曰革。已日乃孚；革而信也。文明以說，大亨以正，革而當，其悔乃亡。天地革而四時成，湯武革命，順乎天而應乎人，革之時義大矣哉！
The image (大象)
澤中有火，革；君子以治歷明時。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – – | 君子豹變，小人革面，征凶，居貞吉。 | The sixth line, divided, shows the superior man producing his changes as the leopard (does when he) changes (his spots), while small men change their faces (and show their obedience). To go forward (now) would lead to evil, but there will be good fortune in abiding firm and correct. | 13 |
| 5 — | 大人虎變，未占有孚。 | The fifth line, undivided, shows the great man (producing his changes) as the tiger (does when he) changes (his stripes). Before he divines (and proceeds to action), faith has been reposed in him. | 55 |
| 4 — | 悔亡，有孚改命，吉。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows occasion for repentance disappearing (from its subject). Let him be believed in; and though he change (existing) ordinances, there will be good fortune. | 63 |
| 3 — | 征凶，貞厲，革言三就，有孚。 | The third line, undivided, shows that action taken by its subject will be evil. Though he be firm and correct, his position is perilous. If the change (he contemplates) have been three times fully discussed, he will be believed in. | 17 |
| 2 – – | 已日乃革之，征吉，无咎。 | The second line, divided, shows its subject making his changes after some time has passed. Action taken will be fortunate. There will be no error. | 43 |
| 1 — | 鞏用黃牛之革。 | The first line, undivided, shows its subject (as if he were) bound with the skin of a yellow ox. | 31 |
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 50
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 4 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 44
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
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 乃nǎithen; really, indeed, after all
- 孚fúto brood over eggs; to have confidence
- 元yuánfirst; dollar; origin; head
- 亨hēngprospering, going smoothly
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 悔huǐto regret, to repent, to show remorse
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 鞏gǒngto bind, to guard, to strengthen; firm,
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 黃huángyellow; surname
- 牛niúox, cow, bull
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 革géleather, animal hide; to reform; to remo
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 凶xiōngculprit; murder; bad, sad
- 厲lìwhetstone; to grind, to sharpen, to whet
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 三sānthree
- 就jiùjust, simply; to go to; to approach, nea
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 人rénman, person; people
- 虎hǔtiger; brave, fierce; surname
- 變biànto change, to transform, to alter; rebel
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 占zhànto divine; to observe; to versify
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 豹bàoleopard, panther; surname
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 面miànface; surface, side; plane, dimension
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
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.