Acts 27
1 When the time came for us to sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion called Julius of the Imperial Regiment.
Then it was decided to send him by ship to Italy, and that Paul, with the others in custody, should be delivered to a centurion named Julius, of the cohort of Augusta.
2 We boarded a ship based in Adramyttium that was headed to the coastal ports of the province of Asia, and we set sail. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.
After climbing aboard a ship from Adramyttium, we set sail and began to navigate along the ports of Asia, with Aristarchus, the Macedonian from Thessalonica, joining us.
3 The next day we had a brief stop at Sidon, and Julius was kind enough to let Paul go ashore and visit his friends so they could provide what he needed.
And on the following day, we arrived at Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul humanely, permitted him to go to his friends and to look after himself.
4 We set out from there and sailed to the leeward of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
And when we had set sail from there, we navigated below Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 Then we sailed directly across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, arriving at the port of Myra in Lycia.
And navigating though the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Lystra, which is in Lycia.
6 There the centurion found a ship from Alexandria that would be sailing to Italy, and arranged for us to join it.
And there the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing to Italy, and he transferred us to it.
7 We sailed slowly for several days and eventually arrived off Cnidus. But since the winds wouldn't allow us to continue we sailed across to the lee of Crete, near to Salmone.
And when we had sailed slowly for many days and had barely arrived opposite Cnidus, for the wind was hindering us, we sailed to Crete, near Salmone.
8 With some difficulty we made our way along the coast until we arrived at a place called Fair Havens, near to the town of Lasea.
And barely being able to sail past it, we arrived at a certain place, which is called Good Shelter, next to which was the city of Lasea.
9 We'd lost a lot of time, and the voyage was becoming dangerous because it was now after the Fast. Paul warned them,
Then, after much time had passed, and since sailing would no longer be prudent because the Fast Day had now passed, Paul consoled them,
10 “Men, I predict that this voyage will result in much hardship and loss—not just of the cargo and the ship, but also our very lives.”
and he said to them: “Men, I perceive that the voyage is now in danger of injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our own lives.”
11 But the centurion paid more attention to the advice of the ship's captain and its owner than to what Paul said.
But the centurion put more trust in the captain and the navigator of the ship, than in the things being said by Paul.
12 Since the harbor was not large enough to over-winter in, the majority were in favor of leaving and trying if possible to reach Phoenix and spend the winter there—a harbor in Crete that faces northwest and southwest.
And since it was not a fitting port in which to winter, the majority opinion was to sail from there, so that somehow they might be able to arrive at Phoenicia, in order to winter there, at a port of Crete, which looks out toward the southwest and northwest.
13 When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could do what they planned. They pulled up the anchor and sailed close inshore along the coast of Crete.
And since the south wind was blowing gently, they thought that they might reach their goal. And after they had set out from Asson, they weighed anchor at Crete.
14 But it wasn't long before a hurricane-force wind called a “northeaster” blew from the land.
But not long afterward, a violent wind came against them, which is called the Northeast Wind.
15 The ship was forced out to sea and could not face into the wind. So we had to give in and allow ourselves to be driven before the wind.
And once the ship had been caught in it and was not able to strive against the wind, giving over the ship to the winds, we were driven along.
16 We were eventually able to run into the lee of a small island called Cauda, and managed with some difficulty to secure the ship's boat on board.
Then, being forced along a certain island, which is called the Tail, we were barely able to hold on to the ship’s lifeboat.
17 After hoisting it aboard, the sailors bound ropes around the hull to strengthen it. Then, worried that they would be wrecked on the Syrtis banks, they lowered the sea anchor and allowed the ship to be driven along.
When this was taken up, they used it to assist in securing the ship. For they were afraid that they might run aground. And having lowered the sails, they were being driven along in this way.
18 The following day as we were violently thrown about by the storm, the crew started throwing the cargo overboard.
Then, since we were being tossed about strongly by the tempest, on the following day, they threw the heavy items overboard.
19 On the third day they grabbed the ship's gear and tossed it into the sea.
And on the third day, with their own hands, they threw the equipment of the ship overboard.
20 We hadn't seen the sun or the stars for many days as the storm beat down on us; so any hope of our being saved was lost.
Then, when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no end to the storm was imminent, all hope for our safety was now taken away.
21 Nobody had eaten anything for a long time. Then Paul stood before them and told them, “Men, you should have listened to me and not sailed from Crete. Then you could have avoided all this hardship and loss.
And after they had fasted for a long time, Paul, standing in their midst, said: “Certainly, men, you should have listened to me and not set out from Crete, so as to cause this injury and loss.
22 But now I advise you keep up your courage, because nobody is going to be lost, just the ship.
And now, let me persuade you to be courageous in soul. For there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 Last night an angel of my God and whom I serve, stood beside me.
For an Angel of God, who is assigned to me and whom I serve, stood beside me this night,
24 ‘Don't be afraid, Paul,’ he told me. ‘You have to stand trial before Caesar. See, God has graciously given to you everyone who is sailing with you.’
saying: ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar. And behold, God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.’
25 So men, have courage! I trust God, and I'm convinced things will happen just as I was told.
Because of this, men, be courageous in soul. For I trust God that this will happen in the same way that it has been told to me.
26 However, we will be wrecked on some island.”
But it is necessary for us to arrive at a certain island.”
27 At around midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, still being blown over the Sea of Adria, the crew suspected they were getting close to land.
Then, after the fourteenth night arrived, as we were navigating in the sea of Adria, about the middle of the night, the sailors believed that they saw some portion of the land.
28 They checked the depth and found it was forty meters, and a little while later they checked again and it was thirty meters.
And upon dropping a weight, they found a depth of twenty paces. And some distance from there, they found a depth of fifteen paces.
29 They were concerned that we might be wrecked on rocks, so they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for daylight to come.
Then, fearing that we might happen upon rough places, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and they were hoping for daylight to arrive soon.
30 The crew tried to leave the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the water with the pretext that they were going to drop anchors from the ship's bow.
Yet truly, the sailors were seeking a way to flee from the ship, for they had lowered a lifeboat into the sea, on the pretext that they were attempting to cast anchors from the bow of the ship.
31 But Paul told the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless the crew stays with the ship, you will be lost.”
So Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you will not be able to be saved.”
32 So the soldiers cut the ropes holding the ship's boat, and let it loose.
Then the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat, and they allowed it to fall.
33 At daybreak Paul urged all of them to eat something. “It's been fourteen days now that you haven't eaten anything because you've been so worried and preoccupied,” he told them.
And when it began to be light, Paul requested that they all take food, saying: “This is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and continuing to fast, taking nothing.
34 “Please do what I say and eat some food. This will help give you strength. For not even a hair from anyone's head is going to be lost!”
For this reason, I beg you to accept food for the sake of your health. For not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish.”
35 When he'd finished speaking he picked up a loaf of bread, and gave thanks to God for it in front of everyone. Then he broke the bread, and began to eat.
And when he had said these things, taking bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Everyone was encouraged and they ate too.
Then they all became more peaceful in soul. And they also took food.
37 The total number of people on board was two hundred and seventy-six.
Truly, we were two hundred and seventy-six souls on the ship.
38 Once they'd had enough to eat, the crew made the ship lighter by throwing the supplies of wheat overboard.
And having been nourished with food, they lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the sea.
39 When dawn came they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay that had a beach. They planned to try running the ship aground there.
And when day had arrived, they did not recognize the landscape. Yet truly, they caught sight of a certain narrow inlet having a shore, into which they thought it might be possible to force the ship.
40 So they cut the anchor ropes, leaving the anchors in the sea. At the same time they untied the ropes holding the rudders, raised the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach.
And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, at the same time loosing the restraints of the rudders. And so, raising the mainsail to the gusting wind, they pressed on toward the shore.
41 But they struck a sandbar and the ship grounded. The bow hit, and stuck so firm it couldn't be moved, while the stern began to be broken apart by the pounding surf.
And when we happened upon a place open to two seas, they ran the ship aground. And indeed, the bow, being immobilized, remained fixed, but truly the stern was broken by the violence of the sea.
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim away and escape.
Then the soldiers were in agreement that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone, after escaping by swimming, might flee.
43 But the centurion, because he wanted to save Paul's life, prevented them from doing this, and ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land.
But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, prohibited it from being done. And he ordered those who were able to swim to jump in first, and to escape, and to get to the land.
44 The rest grabbed hold of planks and other wreckage, so that everyone was able to reach land safely.
And as for the others, some they carried on boards, and others on those things that belonged to the ship. And so it happened that every soul escaped to the land.
