What does the Bible say about the dead and their fate after passing away?

According to The Bible, the dead aren't conscious of anything. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 & 10) They simply return "to the dust", a.k.a. break down to the bare elements they were created from and cease to exist. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20) There are only a select few that will go to Heaven, all of whom are handpicked by Jehovah God and Jesus. (Revelation 14:1-4) The rest of the people that were righteous, along with those that died with no knowledge of Jehovah or His principles (a.k.a. "the unrighteous"), will be brought back to life in the future. (Acts 24:15; John 5:28-29)

(New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures)