讼 · 争
Judgement
有孚，窒惕，中吉；终凶。利见大人，不利涉大川。
Sincerity is blocked; caution and centrality bring good fortune; the end is ill. It furthers one to see the great man. It does not further to cross the great water.
The Image
天与水违行，讼。君子以作事谋始。
Heaven and water go opposite ways: conflict. So the superior man plans before acting.
The Lines
不永所事，小有言，终吉。
He does not prolong the matter. Small words; the end is good fortune.
“不永所事”，讼不可长也；虽“有小言”，其辩明也。
Not prolonging the matter: contention cannot last. Though there are small words, his case is clear.
不克讼，归而逋，其邑人三百户，无眚。
He cannot contend; he returns and flees to his city — three hundred households, no misfortune.
“不克讼”，归逋，窜也；自下讼上，患至掇也。
Losing the contention, he flees home; to contend from below with above invites the calamity.
食旧德，贞厉，终吉；或从王事，无成。
Living on old virtue: steadfastness in danger, good fortune at the end. One may serve the king’s business without claim.
“食旧德”，从上吉也。
Living on old virtue: following above is auspicious.
不克讼；复即命，渝，安贞，吉。
He cannot contend; he returns to the command, changes, and stays steadfast in peace. Good fortune.
“复即命，渝”，“安贞”不失也。
Returning to the command and changing: steadfast peace is not lost.
讼，元吉。
Contention. Supreme good fortune.
“讼，元吉”，以中正也。
Contention with supreme good fortune: centrality and correctness.
或锡之鞶带，终朝三褫之。
Perhaps he is given a bronze belt; by morning’s end it is torn from him three times.
以讼受服，亦不足敬也。
A belt won by contending is not worth honouring.
Reading
天在上，水在下各行其路——两条河道共不了一个走向。争有时是真的，也是对的；卦辞精确的是争到哪里为止。半途最险：要么把争执追到底，要么不要开始。