56 Heb “lacks heart”; “understanding”; , , “sense.”
57 The Hebrew term וְהִנֵּה (véhinneh, traditionally “and, lo” [, ]) is a deictic particle that calls attention to what comes next. “And look” is too abrupt here; “I saw” calls attention to the field that was noticed.
58 Heb “its face” (so , ).
59 Heb “I set my heart.” The “heart” represents the mind and the will combined; to “set” the mind and will means to give careful consideration to what was observed.
60 Heb “I looked, I received instruction.” There are four verbs in the two parts of this verse: “I saw … I set … I saw … I received.” It is clear that the first two verbs in each half verse are the foundation for the next two. At the beginning of the verse the form is the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive; it can be subordinated as a temporal clause to the next verb, probably to be identified as a preterite with the vav—“when I saw, I put.” The next two verbs are both perfect tenses; their construction would parallel the first half of the verse, even though there are no conjunctions here—“[when] I saw, I received.” The teacher makes several observations of the state of the sluggard that reveal that his continued laziness will result in poverty. The reminiscence used here may be a literary device to draw a fictional but characteristically true picture of the lazy person.
61 Heb “a man of shield.” This could refer to an armed warrior (so ) but in this context, in collocation with the other word for “robber” in the previous line, it must refer to an armed criminal.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,

and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;

the ground was covered with nettles,

and its stone wall was broken down.

Then I saw and considered it;

I looked and received instruction.

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

I went past the field of a sluggard,

past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;

thorns had come up everywhere,

the ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was in ruins.

I applied my heart to what I observed

and learned a lesson from what I saw:

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I went by the field of a slacker

and by the vineyard of one lacking sense.

Thistles had come up everywhere,

weeds covered the ground,

and the stone wall was ruined.

I saw, and took it to heart;

I looked, and received instruction:

a little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the arms to rest,

and your poverty will come like a robber,

and your need, like a bandit.

NLTNew Living Translation

I walked by the field of a lazy person,

the vineyard of one with no common sense.

I saw that it was overgrown with nettles.

It was covered with weeds,

and its walls were broken down.

Then, as I looked and thought about it,

I learned this lesson:

A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

I passed by the field of a lazy person,

and over the vineyard of a person lacking sense;

and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles,

and its stone wall was broken down.

Then I myself saw and my heart considered;

I looked, and I took hold of instruction:

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands for rest,

and your poverty will come running,

and your lack like an armed warrior.

KJV 1900King James Version

I went by the field of the slothful,

And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns,

And nettles had covered the face thereof,

And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Then I saw, and considered it well:

I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth;

And thy want as an armed man.

Public Domain