Acts 27
1 Now when it was concluded, that we should sayle into Italie, they deliuered both Paul, and certaine other prisoners vnto a Centurion named Iulius, of the band of Augustus.
As it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were put in charge of a centurion of the Augustan Guard, named Julius.
2 And we entred into a ship of Adramyttium purposing to saile by the coastes of Asia, and launched foorth, and had Aristarchus of Macedonia, a Thessalonian, with vs.
We went on board a ship from Adramyttium, which was on the point of sailing to the ports along the coast of Roman Asia, and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.
3 And the next day we arriued at Sidon: and Iulius courteously entreated Paul, and gaue him libertie to go vnto his friends, that they might refresh him.
The next day we put in to Sidon, where Julius treated Paul in a friendly manner, and allowed him to go to see his friends and receive their hospitality.
4 And from thence we launched, and sayled hard by Cyprus, because ye windes were contrarie.
Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us;
5 Then sayled we ouer the sea by Cilicia, and Pamphilia, and came to Myra, a citie in Lycia.
and, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.
6 And there the Centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sayling into Italie, and put vs therein.
There the Roman officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her.
7 And when we had sayled slowly many dayes, and scarce were come against Gnidum, because the winde suffered vs not, we sailed hard by Candie, neere to Salmone,
For several days our progress was slow, and it was only with difficulty that we arrived off Cnidus. As the wind was still unfavourable when we came off Cape Salmone, we sailed under the lee of Crete,
8 And with much adoe sayled beyond it, and came vnto a certaine place called the Faire hauens, neere vnto the which was the citie Lasea.
and with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called “Fair Havens,” near which was the town of Lasea.
9 So when much time was spent, and sayling was now ieopardous, because also the Fast was nowe passed, Paul exhorted them,
This had taken a considerable time, and sailing was already dangerous, for the Fast was already over; and so Paul gave this warning.
10 And sayde vnto them, Syrs, I see that this voiage will be with hurt and much damage, not of the lading and ship onely, but also of our liues.
‘My friends,’ he said, ‘I see that this voyage will be attended with injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but to our own lives also.’
11 Neuertheles the Centurion beleeued rather the gouernour and the master of the ship, then those things which were spoken of Paul.
The Roman officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul.
12 And because the hauen was not commodious to winter in, many tooke counsell to depart thence, if by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice, there to winter, which is an hauen of Candie, and lyeth toward the Southwest and by West, and Northwest and by West.
And, as the harbour was not a suitable one to winter in, the majority were in favour of continuing the voyage, in hope of being able to reach Phoenix, and winter there. Phoenix was a Cretan harbour, open to the north-east and south-east.
13 And when the Southerne winde blew softly, they supposing to atteine their purpose, loosed neerer, and sailed by Candie.
So, when a light wind sprang up from the south, thinking that they had found their opportunity, they weighed anchor and kept along the coast of Crete, close in shore.
14 But anon after, there arose by it a stormy winde called Euroclydon.
But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land – a north-easter, as it is called.
15 And when the ship was caught, and could not resist the winde, we let her goe, and were caried away.
The ship was caught by it and was unable to keep her head to the wind, so we had to give way and let her drive before it.
16 And we ran vnder a litle Yle named Clauda, and had much a doe to get the boat.
Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we only just managed to secure the ship’s boat,
17 Which they tooke vp and vsed all helpe, vndergirding the ship, fearing least they should haue fallen into Syrtes, and they strake saile, and so were caried.
and, after hoisting it on board, the men frapped the ship. But, afraid of being driven on to the Syrtis Sands, they lowered the yard, and then drifted.
18 The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship.
So violently were we tossed about by the storm, that the next day they began throwing the cargo overboard,
19 And the third day we cast out with our owne hands the tackling of the ship.
and, on the following day, threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.
20 And when neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away.
As neither sun nor stars were visible for several days, and, as the gale still continued severe, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 But after long abstinece, Paul stood forth in the mids of them, and said, Syrs, ye should haue hearkened to me, and not haue loosed from Candie: so should ye haue gained this hurt and losse.
It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said, ‘My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage.
22 But now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shalbe no losse of any mans life among you, saue of the ship onely.
Yet, even as things are, I beg you not to lose courage, for there will not be a single life lost among you – only the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the Angel of God, whose I am, and whome I serue,
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said –
24 Saying, Feare not, Paul: for thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that sayle with thee.
“Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow voyagers.”
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage: for I beleeue God, that it shall be so as it hath bene tolde me.
Therefore, courage, my friends! For I believe God, that everything will happen exactly as I have been told.
26 Howbeit, we must be cast into a certaine Iland.
We will, however, have to be driven on some island.’
27 And when ye fourteenth night was come, as we were caried to and from in the Adriaticall sea about midnight, the shipmen deemed that some countrey approched vnto them,
It was now the fourteenth night of the storm, and we were drifting about in the Adriatic Sea, when, about midnight, the sailors began to suspect that they were drawing near land.
28 And sounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a litle further, they sounded againe, and found fifteene fathoms.
So they took soundings, and found twenty fathoms of water. After waiting a little, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
29 Then fearing least they should haue fallen into some rough places, they cast foure ancres out of the sterne, and wished that the day were come.
Then, as they were afraid of our being driven on some rocky coast, they let go four anchors from the stern, and longed for daylight.
30 Nowe as the mariners were about to flee out of the ship, and had let downe the boat into the sea vnder a colour as though they would haue cast ankers out of the foreship,
The sailors wanted to leave the ship, and had lowered the boat, on pretence of running out anchors from the bows,
31 Paul sayde vnto the Centurion and the souldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye can not be safe.
when Paul said to the Roman officer and his men, ‘Unless the sailors remain on board, you cannot be saved.’
32 Then the souldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall away.
So the soldiers cut the ropes which held the boat, and let her drift away.
33 And when it began to be day, Paul exhorted them all to take meate, saying, This is the fourteenth day that ye haue taried, and continued fasting, receiuing nothing:
In the interval before daybreak Paul kept urging them all to take something to eat. ‘It is a fortnight today,’ he said, ‘that, owing to your anxiety, you have gone without food, taking nothing.
34 Wherefore I exhort you to take meate: for this is for your safegarde: for there shall not an heare fall from the head of any of you.
So I beg you to take something to eat; your safety depends on it, for not one of you will lose even a hair of his head.’
35 And when he had thus spoken, hee tooke bread and gaue thankes to God, in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eate.
With these words he took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving to God before them all, broke it in pieces, and began to eat;
36 Then were they all of good courage, and they also tooke meate.
and the men all felt cheered and had something to eat themselves.
37 Nowe we were in the ship in all two hundreth three score and sixteene soules.
There were about seventy-six of us on board, all told.
38 And whe they had eaten ynough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
After satisfying their hunger, they further lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39 And when it was day, they knewe not the countrey, but they spied a certaine creeke with a banke, into the which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship.
When daylight came, they could not make out what land it was, but, observing a creek in which there was a beach, they consulted as to whether they could run the ship safely into it.
40 So when they had taken vp the ankers, they committed the ship vnto the sea, and loosed the rudder bonds, and hoised vp the maine saile to the winde, and drewe to the shore.
Then they cast off, and abandoned the anchors, and at the same time unlashed the gear of the steering oars, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach.
41 And when they fell into a place, where two seas met, they thrust in the ship: and the forepart stucke fast, and could not be moued, but the hinderpart was broken with the violence of the waues.
They got, however, into a kind of channel, and there ran the ship aground. The bows stuck fast and could not be moved, while the stern began breaking up under the strain.
42 Then the souldiers counsell was to kill the prisoners, least any of them, when he had swomme out, should flee away.
The advice of the soldiers was that the prisoners should be killed, so that none of them could swim away and make their escape.
43 But the Centurion willing to saue Paul, stayed them from this counsell, and commanded that they that coulde swimme, shoulde cast them selues first into the sea, and goe out to land:
But the Roman officer, anxious to save Paul, prevented their carrying out their intention, and ordered that those who could swim should be the first to jump into the sea and try to reach the shore;
44 And the other, some on boardes, and some on certaine pieces of the ship: and so it came to passe that they came all safe to land.
and that the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on different pieces of the ship. In these various ways everyone managed to get safely ashore.
