evil deeds bring retribution on one's descendants
Proverb warning that accumulated misdeeds will eventually bring misfortune to one's family or descendants. Often contrasted with 積善の家には必ず余慶あり.
See also: 積善の家には必ず余慶あり
The saying 'iniquities of fathers are visited upon their sons' warns that the consequences of evil deeds extend to one's descendants.
The opposite proverb: good deeds bring blessings to one's descendants.
Standard kanji form of the proverb.
Variant with 有り instead of あり; slightly more formal or archaic feel.
A classical Chinese-derived proverb, originally from the I Ching (易経). The Japanese reading is a kanbun-style rendering.