Ecclesiastes

7 Good name* better pass good oil, and the day wey person die better pass the day wey them born-am. 2 E better to go the house where people de mourn than to go the house where enjoyment dey, because that one na the end for everybody, and make the people wey dey alive put this one for heart. 3 E better make person dey sad than say e de laugh, because when im face dey sad, this one de make im heart better. 4 The heart of person wey get sense dey for the house where people de mourn, but the heart of stupid person dey for the house where people de happy.*

5 E better to listen to correction from person wey get sense, than to listen to the song wey foolish people de sing. 6 Because just like the sound wey chuku-chuku wey de burn under pot de make, na so foolish person laugh be, and this one dey useless too. 7 But if them de treat person wey get sense anyhow, this one fit make-am craze, and bribe de make the heart rotten.

8 The way matter end better pass the way e take start, and e better to dey patient than to carry body up.* 9 Make you no de quick vex,* because na foolish people de allow vex lie down for their chest.*

10 No talk say, “Why things better before-before pass nowadays?” because this kind question no show say you get sense.

11 To get sense and still get property wey person inherit na good thing, and na gain for people wey dey alive.* 12 Because sense na protection the way money na protection, but the gain wey dey when person know things be say: Sense de save the life of the person wey get-am.

13 Think about the work of the true God, because who fit make wetin e don bend dey straight? 14 When any day good, make you show say the day good, but for the day of trouble,* make you remember say God wey make the first day na im still make the other one, so that people no go fit dey sure of* anything wey go happen to them for future.

15 For the short life wey I don live,* I don see everything—from the righteous person wey de die even as e dey righteous, go reach the wicked person wey de live long life even as e de do bad things.

16 No de do like say na you righteous pass, or de show say you too get sense. Why you want cause problem for yourself? 17 No too wicked, and no dey foolish. Why you want die before your time? 18 The best thing na to hold one of the warning tight and make you no leave the other one; because the person wey de fear God go follow the two of them.

19 Sense de make man wey get-am get power pass ten strong men wey dey for inside city. 20 Because e no get any righteous man wey dey for the earth wey de always do good thing and no de ever sin.

21 Another thing be say, make you no put everything wey people de talk for mind;* if no be so, you fit hear your servant de curse* you. 22 Afterall, you really know for your heart say many times, even you too don curse other people.

23 I use sense test all this things, and I talk say: “I go get sense.” But this one pass my power. 24 Wetin don happen don pass our power and e really deep no be small. Who fit understand-am? 25 I decide for my heart say I go know and find out and look for sense, and the reason why things dey the way them dey, and say I go understand the wickedness wey dey inside stupid character, and the foolishness wey dey inside madness. 26 Then I find out say: Wetin bitter pass death na woman wey be like hunter net, wey im heart be like fishing net, and wey im hands be like prison chains. The person wey de do wetin the true God like go escape from this woman, but the woman go catch the sinner.

27 The person wey de gather people together talk say, “This one na wetin I don see. I check everything one by one to get my result, 28 but I* never still see wetin I continue to find. Out of one thousand people, I see one man,* but I no even see one woman among them. 29 This one na the only thing wey I don see: The way the true God make people dey straight, but them don make plenty plans for theirself.”