Look upon all the works of the Most High; they likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other: Good News Translation has a good introduction here, saying “Think about it….” This is in fact what Look means in this context. Ben Sira invites the reader to think about the created world, and observe how things exist in opposite pairs. Referring to God as the Most High emphasizes his supreme majesty, not his size or height (see 4.10). A simpler model for this verse is the following:

• Think about it: the Lord Most High made everything the opposite of something else.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.