Ecclesiastes 9

¹ I don think long and hard about all this and I don see say na God dey control the action of the wise and the righteous people, even na him dey control their love and how dem dey hate. Nobody know anything about things wey dey future.

² E no make any difference. Na the same thing dey happen to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and bad, to the people wey dey religious and people wey no dey religious, to those wey dey offer sacrifice and to those wey no dey offer sacrifice. A good person no better pass sinner; one wey take oath no better pass the one wey no take oath.

³ Na same thing go happen to everybody, and this dey wrong like anything wey dey happen for this world. As long as people dey live, their mind dey always dey full of evil and madness, and dem suddenly die.

⁴ But anyone wey dey alive for this world of the living still get some hope; a dog wey dey alive better pass lion wey don die.

⁵ Yes, the living know say dem go die, but people wey don die no know anything. Dem no get other reward; people don forget them completely.

⁶ Their loves, their hates, their passions, all don die with them. Dem no go ever take part in anything wey dey happen for this world again.

⁷ Make una continue - make una chop una food and dey happy; make una drink una wine and dey celebrate. Everything dey right with God.

⁸ Make una always look happy and full of joy.

⁹ Make una enjoy live with the woman wey una love, as long as una live the useless life wey God don give una for this world. Make una enjoy every useless day of am, because na all una go get for una trouble be that.

¹⁰ Make una work hard for anything wey una do, because action no go dey, thinking no go dey, knowledge no go dey, no wisdom for this world of dead - and na where una dey go be that.

¹¹ I con realize another thing, say person wey dey run fast no dey always win the race, and say the brave no dey always win the battle. The wise no dey always enjoy life, intelligent people no dey always get rich, and capable people no dey always rise to high positions. Bad luck dey happen to everyone.

¹² You never know when your time dey come. Like birds wey trap catch suddenly, like fish wey net catch, evil moment dey trap us sometimes when we no even expect am.

¹³ Something else dey wey I see, a good example of how people dey think of wisdom in this world.

¹⁴ A little town dey wey no get plenty people inside am. A powerful king attack am. He con surround am and don prepare to break through the walls.

¹⁵ Someone dey live for there wey dey poor, but he dey smart wey be say he for save the town. But nobody dey think about him.

¹⁶ I dey always talk say wisdom better pass strength, but nobody dey think about the poor as wise or pay attention to wetin dem say.

¹⁷ Na better thing to listen to gentle words of wise person pass the shout of a ruler for council of fools.

¹⁸ Wisdom dey do plenty good pass weapons, but one sinner fit destroy plenty of good things.