Different-different English Bible translation wey don old, like the King James Version, use the word “hell” for some verse. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27 a) As the picture wey they use for this article show, many people believe say hell na place where them de burn wicked people for fire forever as their punishment. But na wetin Bible de teach be that?

For this article

•  Hell na place where people de suffer forever?

•  Wetin Jesus parable about the rich man and Lazarus mean?

•  When person dey hell, e know say im and God no get relationship again?

•  Anybody don come out from hell?

•  Some Bible verse wey talk about hell or Grave

•  Original word for hell wey them use for Bible

•  The history about hellfire

 No. The original word wey them translate as “hell” for some Bible translation wey don old, (Hebrew, “Sheol”; Greek, “Hades”) de talk about “Grave,” wey them de bury human being. Bible show say people wey dey inside Grave no dey alive again.

•   People wey don die no know anything again and them no de feel pain. ‘You no fit work, or reason, or use sense, or know something, for inside hell.’ (Ecclesiastes 9:10, Douay-Rheims Version) Hell no be place wey people de shout because of pain. But instead, Bible talk say: ‘Make wicked people de shame and make them dey silent for inside grave [hell, Douay-Rheims].’​—Psalm 31:17; King James Version (30:18, Douay-Rheims); Psalm 115:17.

•   The punishment wey God arrange for sin na death, no be to de burn people for hell. God tell Adam wey be the first man say if e no obey im law, e go die. (Genesis 2:17) God no talk say Adam go burn for fire forever. Later, after Adam don sin, God tell-am the punishment wey e go get, e talk say: “You be dust and when you die, you go return to the dust.” (Genesis 3:19) E no go de alive again. If to say God de send Adam go burn for hell, E for talk-am that time. God never change the punishment for sin when person no obey im law. Many years after Adam sin, God direct one of the people wey write Bible make e write say: “The price wey sin de pay na death.” (Romans 6:23) No need for another punishment “because the person wey don die don free from im sin.”​—Romans 6:7.

•   God really hate the idea say people go burn for fire forever. (Jeremiah 32:35) This kind teaching no agree with wetin Bible talk say “God na love.” (1 John 4:8) God want make we worship-am because we love-am, no be because of fear say we go burn for fire forever.​—Matthew 22:36-38.

•   Good people go hell. The different-different Bible wey use the word “hell” show say good people like Jacob and Job know say them go go hell. (Genesis 37:35; Job 14:13) Bible talk say Jesus go hell between the time wey e die and the time wey God bring-am back to life. (Acts 2:​31, 32) E clear say when this different-different Bible use the word “hell,” na Grave b them de talk about.

 Na Jesus use this parable and them write-am for Luke 16:19-31. Parable na example wey de teach us wetin good and wetin bad and how God want make things be. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus no be wetin happen for real life. (Matthew 13:34) To know more about this parable, check the article “Who Be the Rich Man and Lazarus?”

 No. The belief say people wey don die know say them no get relationship with God again, dey against wetin Bible teach say people wey don die no know anything again.​—Psalm 146:3, 4; Ecclesiastes 9:5.

 Yes. Bible tell us about nine people wey go Grave (wey them still translate as “hell” for some Bible) and wey them resurrect. c If to say them know anything wey happen around them that time wey them dey hell, them for talk about-am when them come back to life. E really dey important to know say the nine people wey come back to life no talk anything say them suffer or say anything happen to them at all. Why? Because as Bible de always teach, when them die, them no know anything again. E just be like say them dey for deep “sleep.”​—John 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6.