Verses 26-33 are the conclusion to the poem beginning in 42.15. Most translations and scholars group verse 26 with the preceding verses about the sea, but in our judgment it goes more logically with what follows, and we suggest that translators put a space (stanza break) between verses 25 and 26.

Because of him his messenger finds the way: The meaning here is a bit unclear, but messenger is probably used here as in Psa 104.4, where Good News Translation has “You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants.” The verse is then a summary of verses 1-25. The phenomena of nature (sun, moon, stars, rainbows, snow, ice, droughts, rain, oceans) are all the Lord’s messengers. The writer says here that the Lord sees to it that all of them succeed in their purposes. For this line we could say “Everything the Lord has created serves its purpose well [or, does its job well].”

And by his word all things hold together: This means that everything in nature has its place and it all works together. We could translate “Everything [in nature] fits together, according to his command.” Compare Col 1.17.

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.