第70章 · 原文
吾言甚易知,甚易行。天下莫能知,莫能行。言有宗,事有君。夫唯无知,是以不我知。知我者希,则我者贵。是以圣人被褐而怀玉。
现代白话译文

我的话很容易理解,很容易实行。天下却没有人能够理解,没有人能够实行。说话要有宗旨,做事要有主见。正是由于人们无知,所以不理解我。理解我的人很少,效法我的人就很难得了。因此圣人外表穿着粗布衣服,怀里却揣着美玉。

多版本对照
王弼注(魏晋)

可不出戸窥牖而知.故曰甚易知也.无为而成.故曰甚易行也.惑于躁欲.故曰莫之能知也.明于荣利.故曰莫之能行也.宗万物之宗也.万事之主也.以其言有宗.事有君之故.故有知之人.不得不知之也.唯深故知之者希也.知我益希.我亦无匹.故曰知我者希则我者贵也.被褐者同其尘.怀玉者宝其眞也.圣人之所以难知.以其同尘而不殊.怀玉而不渝.

河上公注(汉)

吾言甚易知者,吾言之甚易知也。甚易行者,甚易行也。

王夫之《老子衍》(明末清初)

大喧生於大寂,大生肇於無生。乘其喧而和之,不勝和也。逐其化而育之,不勝育也。唇吹竽,則指不能拊瑟;仰承蟬,則俯不能掇螬。故天下之言,為唇為指;天下之事,為承為掇。逐逐其難而終不遇,乃枵然以自侈其知之多,豈有能知我者哉?我之自居於「希」也,天下能勿「希」乎?故大谷無纖音,而大化無乳字。謝其喧而不敏於化,蓋披褐以樂居其「易」,而懷玉以潛襲其「希」也。

憨山德清《老子道德经解》(明)

此重明前章不爭之德,以釋上三寶以慈為本之意也。然慈,乃至仁之全德也。所謂大仁不仁。以其物我兼忘,內不見有施仁之心,外不見有受施之地。故凡應物而動,皆非出於有心好為,蓋迫不得已而後應。故借用兵以明慈德之至也。何以知之。且如古之用兵者有言曰,吾不敢為主而為客,不敢進寸而退尺。以此觀之,足可知也。古之用兵,如涿鹿孟津之師是也。兵主,如春秋征伐之盟主。蓋專征伐,主於兵者,言以必爭必殺為主也。客,如諸侯應援之師。本意絕無好殺之心。今雖迫不得已而應之,然亦聽之待之,若可已則已。以無心於功利,故絕無爭心,所以進之難而退之易。故曰不敢進寸而退尺。言身進而心不進,是以退心進也。以無爭心,故雖行而如不在行陣,雖攘而若無臂之人。仍,相仍,猶就也。言彼以我為敵,而我以彼為敵也。雖就,亦似無敵可對。雖執,猶若無兵可揮。戒懼之至,而不敢輕於敵。由不敢輕敵,所以能保全民命,不傷好生之仁。然禍之大者莫大於輕敵。以輕敵則多殺,多殺則傷慈,故幾喪吾寶矣。抗兵,乃兩敵相當,不相上下,難於決勝。但有慈心哀之者,則自勝矣。何則,以天道好生,助勝於慈者也。由是觀之,兵者對敵,必爭必殺以取勝。今乃以不爭不殺而勝之,蓋以慈為本故也。足見慈乃不爭之德,施於必爭地,而以不爭勝之,豈非大有力乎。用之於敵尚如此。況乎聖人無物為敵,而以平等大慈,并包萬物,又何物而可勝之耶。故前云不爭之德,是謂用人之力,是謂配天古之極。此章舊解多在用兵上說,全不得老子主意。今觀初一句,乃借用兵之言。至輕敵喪寶,則了然明白。是釋上慈字,以明不爭之德耳。

马王堆帛书异文(西汉)

吾言甚易知也,甚易行也。而人莫之能知也,莫之能行也。

帛书本'用兵有言'作'用兵有言','吾不敢为主而为客'作'吾不敢为主而为客'。
郭店楚简异文(战国)

此章缺

郭店楚简无此章内容。
English Translations / 英文译本

My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice. Yet the world cannot understand them or practice them. Words have ancestors, deeds have masters. Because they do not understand, they do not understand me. Those who understand me are few. Therefore the sage wears coarse clothes but holds jade in his bosom.

My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice. Yet the world cannot understand them or practice them. Words have ancestors, deeds have masters. Because they do not understand, they do not understand me. Those who understand me are few. Therefore the sage wears coarse clothes but holds jade in his bosom.

My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice. Yet the world cannot understand them or practice them. Words have ancestors, deeds have masters. Because they do not understand, they do not understand me. Those who understand me are few. Therefore the sage wears coarse clothes but holds jade in his bosom.