sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

English

Alternative forms

• sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
• reap the whirlwind

Etymology

A reference to Hosea 8:7.

Proverb

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

1. Every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to them; if one starts trouble or takes actions in spite of the discontent they cause, one will incur negative consequences.
   • 2021 January 7, “Trump Is to Blame for Capitol Attack”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     Before the attack started, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, decried efforts by his fellow Republicans to overturn the results of the election. But his eloquence was the very definition of a gesture both too little and too late. They who sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.

Synonyms

• what goes around comes around
• reap what you sow

Translations

every decision has consequences; a person's actions will come back to them

• Bulgarian: ко́йто се́е вя́тър, жъ́не бу́ри (kójto sée vjátǎr, žǎ́ne búri)
• Czech: kdo seje vítr, sklízí bouři (cs)
• Dutch: wie wind zaait, zal storm oogsten
• Finnish: joka tuulen kylvää, se myrskyn niittää
• French: qui sème le vent, récolte la tempête (fr)
• German: wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten (de)
• Hungarian: aki szelet vet, vihart arat (hu)
• Italian: chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta
• Japanese: 業によりて果を引く (ごうによりてかをひく, gō ni yorite ka o hiku)
• Korean: 뿌린대로 거두다 (ppurindaero geoduda)
• Polish: kto sieje wiatr, zbiera burzę
• Portuguese: quem semeia ventos colhe tempestades, quem semeia vento colhe tempestade
• Romanian: cine seamănă vânt culege furtună
• Russian: посе́ешь ве́тер, пожнёшь бу́рю (poséješʹ véter, požnjóšʹ búrju)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ко сеје ветар, жање олују

  Roman: ko seje vetar, žanje oluju

• Slovak: kto seje vietor, búrku žne
• Spanish: quien siembra vientos recoge tempestades, cría cuervos y te sacarán los ojos
• Turkish: rüzgâr eken, fırtına biçer
• Vietnamese: gieo nhân nào gặp quả đó

See also

• get out what one puts in