【原文】伐逆不伐顺，伐险不伐易，伐过不伐及。四封之内，以正使之；诸侯之会，以权致之。近而不服者，以地患之；远而不听者，以刑危之。一而伐之，武也；服而舍之，文也；文武具满，德也。《霸言》

【汉解】伐逆而不伐顺，伐险恶而不伐平易，伐太过头的而不伐落后的。本国之内，通过政令来驾驭；国外会集诸侯，运用权力来召集。对就近而不服从的国家，用侵削土地加害它；对离远而不听命的国家，用强大形势威胁它。背叛则征伐之，这是武；服从则赦免之，这是文。文武兼备，这才是德。

【英译】attack only those who opposed them and not those who were obedient; only those who posed a threat and not those who were compliant; only those who went to excess and not those who merely failed to come up to standard. Within the four boundaries, using political power to summon them. For those who were near at hand but refuse to submit, relied on seizure of their territory to make them suffer. For those who were far removed and disobedient, relied on punishments to threaten them. When the feudal lords were two-faced, the former kings responded in a military way by attacking them. When the feudal lords were submissive, the former kings responded in a civil way by leaving them alone. Both their military and civil responses were completely virtuous.