自作孽，不可活

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Chinese

from; self; oneself
from; self; oneself; since
 
 to do evil; to commit a sin cannot; should not; must not
to live; alive; living
to live; alive; living; work; workmanship
 
trad. (自作孽，不可活) 自 作孽 ， 不可 活
simp. #(自作孽，不可活) 自 作孽 ， 不可 活
alternative forms 自作孽不可活

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑上》), citing the Book of Documents:

《太甲》曰：『天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可活。』 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
《太甲》曰：『天作孽，犹可违；自作孽，不可活。』 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
“Tàijiǎ” yuē: ‘Tiān zuòniè, yóu kě wéi; zì zuòniè, bùkě huó.’
By the passage of the Tai Jia, "When Heaven sends down calamities, it is still possible to escape from them; when we occasion the calamities ourselves, it is not possible any longer to live."

The text in the Forged Old Text of the Book of Documents is slightly different (《尚書·太甲》):

欲敗度，縱敗禮，以速戾于厥躬。天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可逭。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
欲败度，纵败礼，以速戾于厥躬。天作孽，犹可违；自作孽，不可逭。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Forged Old Text of the Book of Documents, circa 3rd – 4th century CE
Yù bài dù, zòng bài lǐ, yǐ sù lì yú jué gōng. Tiān zuòniè, yóu kě wéi; zì zuòniè, bùkě huàn.
By my desires I was setting at nought all rules of conduct, and violating by my self-indulgence all rules of propriety, and the result must have been speedy ruin to my person. Calamities sent by Heaven may be avoided, but from calamities brought on by one's self there is no escape.

Pronunciation

Idiom

自作孽，不可活

  1. to bear the disastrous consequences of one's own misdeeds
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