黄帝問曰：診法何如？歧伯對曰：診法常以平旦，陰氣未動，陽氣未散，飲食未進，經脉未盛，絡脉調匀，氣血未亂，故乃可診有過之脉。切脉動靜，而視精明，察五色，觀五藏有餘不足，六府强弱，形之盛衰，以此參伍，決死生之分。
黄帝问曰：诊法何如？岐伯对曰：诊法常以平旦，阴气未动，阳气未散，饮食未进，经脉未盛，络脉调匀，气血未乱，故乃可诊有过之脉。切脉动靜，而视精明，察五色，观五脏有余不足，六腑强弱，形之盛衰，以此参伍，决死生之分。
huáng dì wèn yuē: zhěn fǎ hé rú?qí bó duì yuē: zhěn fǎ cháng yǐ píng dàn, yīn qì wèi dòng, yáng qì wèi sàn, yǐn shí wèi jìn, jīng mài wèi shèng, luò mài tiáo yún, qì xuè wèi luàn, gù nǎi kě zhěn yǒu guò zhī mài. qiè mài dòng jìng, ér shì jīng míng, chá wǔ sè, guān wǔ zàng yǒu yú bù zú, liù fǔ qiáng ruò, xíng zhī shèng shuāi, yǐ cǐ cān wǔ, jué sǐ shēng zhī fēn.
The Yellow Emperor asks: What is the method of diagnosis like? Qibo replies: Diagnosis is regularly done at dawn. The yin qi has not yet stirred, the yang qi has not yet dispersed, food and drink have not yet been taken, the conduit vessels are not yet full, the network vessels are evenly regulated, and the qi and blood are not yet disordered — therefore one can examine the pulse for what is amiss. Feel the pulse for its movement and stillness; observe the brightness of the eyes; examine the five colours; look at the excess and insufficiency of the five depots and the strength and weakness of the six palaces, and at the flourishing or decline of the body’s form. Cross-reference these with one another, and decide where life and death divide.
篇首設問：「診法何如？」岐伯不以一方一術對，而先立時（常以平旦）、後立目（切脈、視精明、察五色、觀臟腑形體），而以「參伍」總之，歸於「決死生之分」。此為全篇之綱。
一曰治神，二曰知養身，三曰知毒藥爲真，四曰制砭石小大，五曰知府藏血氣之診。五法俱立。各有所先。
一曰治神，二曰知养身，三曰知毒药为真，四曰制砭石小大，五曰知府藏血气之诊。五法俱立。各有所先。
Yī yuē zhì shén, èr yuē zhī yǎng shēn, sān yuē zhī dú yào wéi zhēn, sì yuē zhì biān shí xiǎo dà, wǔ yuē zhī fǔ zàng xuè qì zhī zhěn. Wǔ fǎ jù lì. Gè yǒu suǒ xiān.
First, to govern the spirit. Second, to know how to nourish the body. Third, to know the true from the false among potent drugs. Fourth, to regulate the size of the stone needle. Fifth, to know the examination of the depots, the viscera, the blood and the qi. The five methods are established all together, and each has what comes before it.
「五曰知府藏血氣之診」：本篇之診，列於五法之末而為其一——診者，察府藏血氣也。與第十六篇「診要」之論四時刺診、第十七篇「診法」之論診之時與法、第二十篇三部九候之診者同條而義別：彼論診之時、之法、之部位，本篇則以診為用針者所必備之一事，與治神、養身、知藥、制砭並列。「診」讀 zhěn；「藏」讀 zàng。
知其所在者，知診三部九𠉀之病脉處而治之，故曰守其門户焉。
知其所在者，知诊三部九候之病脉处而治之，故曰守其门户焉。
Zhī qí suǒ zài zhě, zhī zhěn sān bù jiǔ hòu zhī bìng mài chù ér zhì zhī, gù yuē shǒu qí mén hù yān.
To know where it lies is to know how to examine the site of the sick vessel among the three regions and nine indicators and treat it there; hence it is called guarding the gate.
「知其所在者，知診三部九𠉀之病脉處而治之，故曰守其門户焉」——本篇論診法之要在「知所在」與「守門户」二語：診得病脉之處，則病之出入之門可知，守之則邪無由入。「診」讀 zhěn；「處」讀 chù；「守」讀 shǒu；「門」讀 mén；「户」讀 hù。與上文「上工救其萌牙」合讀：診法的目的不是辨已成之病，而是於九候之「相失」中（「失」讀 shī）先見其未形，故曰「守其門户」而不曰「攻其病所」。
歧伯曰：審捫循三部九𠉀之盛虚而調之，察其左右上下，相失及相減者，審其病藏以期之。
歧伯曰：审扪循三部九候之盛虚而调之，察其左右上下，相失及相减者，审其病藏以期之。
Qí bó yuē: shěn mén xún sān bù jiǔ hòu zhī shèng xū ér tiáo zhī, chá qí zuǒ yòu shàng xià, xiāng shī jí xiāng jiǎn zhě, shěn qí bìng zàng yǐ qī zhī.
Qibo says: Examine carefully — palpate and follow the fullness and emptiness of the three regions and nine indicators, and regulate accordingly. Observe what is to the left and right, above and below; where they lose correspondence or are diminished, determine the affected depot and set a time for it.
本篇此句是診法在真邪已合之時的用法：波隴不起，無可候之邪，於是改從三部九候之盛虚而調之。**「捫」讀 mén**，以手捫摸；「循」讀 xún，順其道而行；「審」讀 shěn，本篇三見；「調」讀 tiáo。「察其左右上下，相失及相減者」——「相失」謂不相應，「相減」（**「減」讀 jiǎn，從水旁**）謂一盛一衰，皆診家所當審。診法至此，已從候邪之來去，轉為審三部之盛虚。
歧伯曰：滑大者曰生，懸濇者曰死，以藏期之。
歧伯曰：滑大者曰生，悬涩者曰死，以藏期之。
Qí bó yuē: huá dà zhě yuē shēng, xuán sè zhě yuē sǐ, yǐ zàng qī zhī.
Qibo says: slippery and large is called life; hanging and rough is called death. Fix the date by the depot involved.
「滑大者曰生，懸濇者曰死，以藏期之」——本篇之診法，歸結於二事：一以脉之滑濇決生死，二以藏氣之時日定死期。**「期」讀 qī**，預期、定其死期之日也；「藏」讀 zàng；「懸」讀 xuán，本篇五見；「濇」讀 sè，本篇七見，即「澀」之本字；「滑」讀 huá。「以藏期之」與上文「非其時則生，當其時則死，餘藏皆如此」同一以藏氣配時日之法，為《內經》診法中最重預後之一例。