Paul Sails for Rome

1 When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan regiment. 2 Embarking in an Adramyttium ship that was scheduled to set sail to ports of Asia, we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

3 The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4 Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

7 After sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived near Cnidus. The wind prohibited us from going further, so we sailed under the lee of Crete, near Salmone. 8 Sailing along it with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9 When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already passed, Paul admonished them 10 and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will bring injury and much loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also our lives.”

11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 12 Because 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, facing southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

13 When the south wind blew softly, and they surmised that they had achieved their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14 But before long, a stormy wind, called the northeaster, beat down from the land. 15 When the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

16 Running under the side of a small island that was sheltered from the wind, called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17 After 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.

18 As we strenuously labored with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20 When 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 gone.

21 When they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up in the midst of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me and not set sail from Crete and gotten this injury and loss. 22 Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. God has granted to you all of those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26 But we must run aground on a certain island.”

The Shipwreck on Malta

27 But 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. 28 They took soundings and found it to be 120 feet deep. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found it to be 90 feet deep. 29 Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they let four anchors go from the stern and prayed for daylight.

30 As the sailors were trying to flee from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless they stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

33 While the day was dawning, Paul begged all of them to eat some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and fasting, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I am begging you to eat some food, for this is for your survival, for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”

35 When he had said this and had eaten bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 All of them cheered up, and they also ate food. 37 In all, there were 276 of us on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40 Casting 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. 41 But coming to a crosscurrent, they ran the vessel aground on the sandbar. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up from the violence of the waves.

42 The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, stopped them from their plans, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

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