【原文】故省刑之要，在禁文巧，守国之度，在饰四维，顺民之经，在明鬼神，只山川，敬宗庙，恭祖旧。《牧民》

【汉解】因此，减少刑罚的关键，在于禁止奢侈；巩固国家的准则，在于整饰四维；教训人民的根本办法，则在于：尊敬鬼神、祭祀山川、敬重祖宗和宗亲故旧。

【英译】Therefore the essential component in reducing punishments is to prohibit luxury and artfulness. The primary measure for preserving the state is to promote the four cardinal virtues. The basic precepts for achieving obedience among the people are: to honor the spirits, respect the mountain and river gods, reserve the ancestral temples, and venerate ancestors and great men of the past.