live by the sword, die by the sword

English

Etymology

1611, King James Version of the Bible, Gospel of Matthew, 26:52

• Then said Jesus unto him, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

Pronunciation

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Proverb

live by the sword, die by the sword

1. One who uses violence can expect a violent response; it is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.
2. (figuratively) One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey a sense that poetic justice is inevitable.
3. (figuratively) The means of one's success can become the means of one's downfall.
   • 1997 October 17, Roger Ebert, “Boogie Nights (1997) review”, in Chicago Sun-Times‎^[1]:

     And in Dirk Diggler's most anguished scene, as he shouts at Jack Horner, "I'm ready to shoot my scene RIGHT NOW!" we learn that those who live by the sword can also die by it.

   • 2009, Larry Downes, The Laws of Disruption: Harnessing the New Forces That Govern Life and Business in the Digital Age, Basic Books, →ISBN:

     In the “live by the sword, die by the sword” category of ironic litigation, consider the fate of struggling hardware and software maker Sun Microsystems.

Translations

one who uses violence can expect a violent response

• Belarusian: усе, што возьмуць меч, ад мяча і загінуць (usje, što vózʹmucʹ mječ, ad mjača i zahinucʹ)
• Bulgarian: всички, които се залавят за нож, от нож ще погинат (vsički, koito se zalavjat za nož, ot nož šte poginat)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 以暴易暴 (zh) (yǐbàoyìbào), 惡有惡報 / 恶有恶报 (zh) (èyǒu'èbào), 冤冤相報何時了 / 冤冤相报何时了 (yuān yuān xiāng bào hé shí liǎo), 凡動刀的，必死在刀下 / 凡动刀的，必死在刀下 (fán dòng dāo de, bì sǐ zài dāo xià), 生於劍，死於劍 / 生于剑，死于剑 (shēng yú jiàn, sǐ yú jiàn)

• Czech: kdo s čím zachází, s tím také schází
• Danish: vold føder vold
• Dutch: wie leeft bij het zwaard, zal sterven bij het zwaard
• Esperanto: kiu glavon prenas, per glavo pereos
• Finnish: joka miekkaan tarttuu, se miekkaan hukkuu
• French: qui vit par l’épée périra par l’épée (fr)
• German: wer das Schwert ergreift, der soll durchs Schwert umkommen
• Greek: πάντες όσοι πιάσωσι μάχαιραν διά μαχαίρας θέλουσιν απολεσθή (pántes ósoi piásosi máchairan diá machaíras thélousin apolesthí)

  Ancient: πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀπολοῦνται (pántes gàr hoi labóntes mákhairan en makhaírēi apoloûntai)

• Hungarian: (a)ki kardot fog/ránt/ragad, (az) kard által vész (el)
• Italian: chi di spada ferisce, di spada perisce
• Korean: 칼로 흥한자는 칼로 망하리라. (kallo heunghanjaneun kallo mangharira.)
• Norwegian: alle som griper til sverd, skal falle for sverd
• Polish: kto mieczem wojuje, ten od miecza ginie (pl)
• Portuguese: quem vive pela espada, morre pela espada
• Romanian: toți cei ce scot sabia, de sabie vor pieri
• Russian: кто с мечо́м к нам придёт, тот от меча́ и поги́бнет (kto s mečóm k nam pridjót, tot ot mečá i pogíbnet), подня́вший меч от меча́ и поги́бнет (podnjávšij meč ot mečá i pogíbnet)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ко од мача живи од мача и гине, ко се мача лача од мача и гине

  Roman: ко od mača živi od mača i gine, кo se mača lača od mača i gine

• Slovak: kto mečom bojuje, mečom zahynie
• Slovene: kdor živi od meča, bo z mečem pokončan
• Spanish: quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere (es)
• Swedish: alla som griper till svärd skall dödas med svärd
• Ukrainian: всі, хто візьме меча, від меча і загинуть (vsi, xto vizʹme meča, vid meča i zahynutʹ)