Acts

1When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

2Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

3The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

4Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

7When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

8With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them

10and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

11But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

12Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.

13When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

14But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.

15When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

16Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

17After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

18As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

19On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

20When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

21When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss.

22Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

23For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

24saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

25Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

26But we must run aground on a certain island.”

27But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

28They took soundings and found twenty fathoms.After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.

29Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

30As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

33While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

34Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”

35When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat.

36Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

37In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

38When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

39When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

40Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

41But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

42The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

43But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;

44and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

Paul Sails for Rome

1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the ImperialRegiment.

2We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia,and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

3The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

4After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

5And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

7After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

8After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast.So Paul advised them,

10“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”

11But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.

12Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, hoping that somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.

14But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

15Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

16Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda,we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.

17After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchorand were driven along.

18We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.

19On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.

20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

21After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.

22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.

23For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me

24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

25So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.

26However, we must run aground on some island.”

The Shipwreck

27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea.About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.

28They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep.Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.

29Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.

30Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.

31But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”

32So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

33Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food.

34So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

35After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

36They were all encouraged and took some food themselves.

37In all, there were 276of us on board.

38After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

39When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

40Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.

41But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom.

43But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

44The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.