Wei Ji · 未济

Judgment (卦辞)

Before Completion. Success. But if the fox, when nearly across the water, gets his tail wet, it brings misfortune. Before completion represents the transition before a new cycle — the old order is ending but the new has not yet stabilized. Care must be taken at the final stage.

未济：亨，小狐汔济，濡其尾，无攸利。

Image (象辞)

Fire over water — the image of Before Completion. Thus the superior man carefully distinguishes the nature of things so that each finds its proper place. Fire above water has not yet achieved equilibrium; careful discrimination is needed to bring the transition to successful completion.

火在水上，未济；君子以慎辨物居方。

Modern Application

Wei Ji represents the liminal transition — the final stage before completion where care is most critical. Essential for project completion discipline, transition management, and avoiding last-minute failures.

未济代表阈限过渡——完成前的最后阶段，此时谨慎最为关键。对项目完成纪律、过渡管理和避免最后一刻失败至关重要。