黄帝曰。余闻九针于夫子。众多不可胜数。余推而论之。以为一纪。余试诵之。子听其
理。非则语余。请受其道。令可久传后世无患。得其人乃传。非其人勿言。岐伯稽首再拜曰。请
听圣王之道。帝曰。用针之理。必知血气之所在。左右上下。阴阳表里。血气多少。行之逆
顺。出入之会。诛伐有过。雪污解结。知补虚泻实。上下之气。门通于四海。审其所在
寒热
与实邻。决而通之。左右不调。犯而行之。明于逆顺。乃可治之。阴阳不奇。故知起时。审
于本末。察其寒热。知邪所在。万刺不殆。知用九针。刺道毕矣。凡刺之要。针最妙。九针
之为。各有所宜。长短大小。各有所施。不得其用。病弗能移。疾浅针深。内伤良肉。皮肤
为痈。病深气不泻。反为大脓。病小针大。泻气太甚。必为后害。病大针小。大气不泻。
后亦为败。九针之宜者。一曰 针。法天。大其头而锐其末。令无得深入。而阳气泄。故
针者。取法于布针。去末半寸。卒锐之。长一寸六分。以治热在头身也。经曰。病在皮肤无
常
末。令无得伤肉分。伤则气得竭。故圆针者。取法于絮针。筒其身而卵其锋。长一寸六分。主
治分肉间气。经曰。病在分肉间取以员针。三曰 针。法人。谓人所以生成者。血脉也。为
之治针。必大其身而圆其未。令可以接脉勿陷。以致其气。令邪气独出。故 针者。取法于
黍粟之锐。长三寸半。主按脉取气。令邪出。经曰。病在血气少当补之者。取以 针。四曰锋
针。法时。谓四时八风之客于经络之中。为痼疾者也。为之治针。必筒其身而锐其末。令可
以泻热出血。而痼病竭故锋针者。取法于絮针。筒其身锋其末。长一寸六分。主痈热出血。
经曰。病在经络为痼证者。取以锋针。五曰铍针。法音。谓冬夏之分。分于子午。阴与阳别
寒与热争。两气相搏。合为痈脓者也。审此数者。然后用刺。庶乎适当。无或失矣。
黄帝说：我从夫子那里听闻了九针的知识，内容繁多，数不胜数。我推究并论述它们，将其归纳为“一纪”（十二年或一个周期）。我试着诵读一遍，请您听其条理。如果有错误，请告诉我，让我接受正确的道理，以便能长久地流传给后世，避免祸患。得到合适的人就传授，得不到合适的人就不要乱说。
岐伯叩头拜了两下说：请允许我聆听圣王的道理。
黄帝说：运用针刺的道理，必须知道血气在身体左右上下、阴阳表里的分布情况，以及血气的多少、运行的逆顺、出入交汇的部位。要诛伐有过错的邪气，清除污浊，解开结滞，懂得补虚泻实的方法，调理上下的气机。经脉之气通达四海，审察病位是在寒证还是热证，实证与何处相邻，决断并疏通经络。如果左右不调和，触犯禁忌而行针，就会造成危害。只有明了逆顺规律，才可以治疗疾病。阴阳没有偏颇异常，就能知道疾病发作的时间。审察疾病的本末，观察寒热表现，了解邪气所在，这样即使万刺也不会出现危险。懂得使用九针，针刺的要领就完备了。
大凡针刺的要领，针具最为精妙。九针的制作，各有适宜的用途。长短大小，各有不同的施用方法。如果不掌握其用法，疾病就不能消除。病位浅而针刺过深，会内伤良肉，导致皮肤发生痈肿；病位深而气不能泻出，反而形成大脓疡。病情轻而针具过大，泻气太过，必然留下后患；病情重而针具过小，大气不能泻出，日后也会败坏。
九针的适宜用法如下：
第一是镵针，取法于天。它的头部宽大而末端尖锐，使它能够不深入体内，从而泄出阳气。所以镵针，取法于布针，去掉末端半寸，突然使其锐利，长一寸六分，用于治疗头身的热证。经文说：病在皮肤且无固定末端的，用镵针，使针不得损伤肌肉部分，如果损伤则会导致气竭。
第二是圆针，取法于絮针。它的针身圆柱形而针锋呈卵圆形，长一寸六分，主治分肉间的气滞。经文说：病在分肉间的，用圆针治疗。
第三是鍉针，取法人。人之所以能生成，依靠的是血脉。制作这种针，必须使针身粗大而针尖圆钝，使其可以接触脉管而不陷入其中，以引导正气，使邪气单独排出。所以鍉针，取法于黍粟的尖端，长三寸半，主要用来按压脉管以取气，使邪气外出。经文说：病在血气虚弱应当补益的，用鍉针治疗。
第四是锋针，取法于时。指四季八风之邪客居于经络之中，成为顽固性疾病。制作这种针，必须使针身圆柱形而末端尖锐，使其可以泻热出血，从而使痼疾枯竭。所以锋针，取法于絮针，针身圆柱形而末端锋利，长一寸六分，主治痈热出血。经文说：病在经络成为痼证的，用锋针治疗。
第五是铍针，取法于音。指冬夏之分，分别对应子午时刻，阴与阳分离，寒与热相争，两气相互搏结，合而为痈脓。审察上述几种情况，然后进行针刺，庶几能够适当，不会失误。
Huangdi said: I have heard of the Nine Needles from the Master. The content is vast and innumerable. I have deduced and discussed them, categorizing them into one "Ji" (a cycle of twelve years). I will attempt to recite them; please listen to their logic. If there are errors, inform me, so that I may receive the correct principles and pass them down to future generations without peril. Transmit only to those who are worthy; do not speak of them to those who are not.
Qibo bowed deeply with both hands and said: Please allow me to listen to the Way of the Sage King.
Huangdi said: The principle of using needles requires knowing the location of Blood and Qi in the left and right, upper and lower aspects, as well as their distribution in Yin and Yang, exterior and interior. One must know the quantity of Blood and Qi, the direction of their flow (smooth or reversed), and the points where they enter and exit. One must punish excesses, cleanse filth, resolve stagnation, understand the methods of tonifying deficiency and draining excess, and regulate the Qi of the upper and lower body. The meridians connect to the Four Seas. One must examine whether the condition is Cold or Heat, and where Excess patterns are adjacent, then decide to unblock and dredge the channels. If the left and right are not regulated, and one violates contraindications while needling, harm will result. Only by understanding reversals and smoothness can one treat diseases. If Yin and Yang are not abnormal, one can know the time of onset. By examining the root and branch, observing Cold and Heat, and knowing the location of pathogenic factors, ten thousand insertions will be free from danger. Knowing how to use the Nine Needles completes the art of needling.
In general, the essence of needling lies in the needles themselves. The creation of the Nine Needles has specific appropriateness for each. Their length and size have different applications. If their use is not mastered, the disease cannot be moved. If the disease is superficial but the needle is inserted too deeply, it will injure the healthy flesh internally, causing the skin to become an abscess. If the disease is deep but the Qi is not drained, it will instead form a large suppurative lesion. If the disease is minor but the needle is too large, excessive draining of Qi will inevitably cause subsequent harm. If the disease is major but the needle is too small, the substantial pathogen cannot be drained, leading to deterioration later.
The appropriate uses of the Nine Needles are as follows:
First is the Chan Needle (Chan Zhen), modeled after Heaven. Its head is broad and its tip is sharp, preventing deep insertion, thereby venting Yang Qi. Thus, the Chan Needle is modeled after the cloth needle (Bu Zhen); half an inch is removed from the tip, making it suddenly sharp, with a length of 1.6 cun. It is used to treat Heat in the head and body. The Classic states: When the disease is in the skin and lacks a fixed endpoint, use the Chan Needle, ensuring it does not damage the muscle tissue. Damage would lead to exhaustion of Qi.
Second is the Yuan Needle (Yuan Zhen), modeled after the cotton needle (Xu Zhen). Its shaft is cylindrical and its tip is ovoid, with a length of 1.6 cun. It primarily treats Qi stagnation between the muscles. The Classic states: When the disease is between the muscles, treat it with the Yuan Needle.
Third is the Di Needle (Di Zhen), modeled after Humanity. Human generation relies on the blood vessels. This needle is made with a thick body and a blunt tip, allowing it to contact the pulse without sinking in, thereby guiding Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) and expelling Pathogenic Factors alone. Thus, the Di Needle is modeled after the sharp tip of millet grains, with a length of 3.5 cun. It is mainly used to press upon the vessels to extract Qi and expel pathogens. The Classic states: When the disease involves deficient Blood and Qi requiring tonification, use the Di Needle.
Fourth is the Feng Needle (Feng Zhen), modeled after Time. This refers to the Eight Winds of the four seasons invading the collaterals, becoming chronic diseases. This needle is made with a cylindrical shaft and a sharp tip, allowing it to drain Heat and bleed, thereby exhausting chronic conditions. Thus, the Feng Needle is modeled after the cotton needle, with a cylindrical shaft and sharp tip, with a length of 1.6 cun. It treats abscesses, Heat, and bleeding. The Classic states: When the disease is in the collaterals and becomes a chronic condition, use the Feng Needle.
Fifth is the Pi Needle (Pi Zhen), modeled after Sound/Music. This refers to the division of Winter and Summer, corresponding to the Zi and Wu hours, where Yin and Yang separate, and Cold and Heat contend. The two energies clash and combine to form abscesses and pus. Examining these factors allows for appropriate needling, avoiding error.