< Acts 27 >

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 band.
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 Embarking in a ship from 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.
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 The next day, we landed at Tsaidan. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.
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 Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us;
5 When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
and, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.
6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.
There the Roman officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her.
7 When 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.
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 With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
and with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called “Fair Havens,” near which was the town of Lasea.
9 When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished 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 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."
‘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 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.
The Roman officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said 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, looking northeast and southeast.
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 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.
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 before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euraquilo.
But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land – a north-easter, as it is called.
15 When the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along.
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 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.
Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we only just managed to secure the ship’s 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, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.
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 As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.
So violently were we tossed about by the storm, that the next day they began throwing the cargo overboard,
19 On the third day, they threw out the ship's tackle with their own hands.
and, on the following day, 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 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 When 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.
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 Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
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 an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said –
24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'
“Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow voyagers.”
25 Therefore, sirs, cheer up. For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.
Therefore, courage, my friends! For I believe God, that everything will happen exactly as I have been told.
26 But we must run aground on a certain island."
We will, however, have to be driven on some island.’
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.
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 They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
So they took soundings, and found twenty fathoms of water. After waiting a little, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
29 Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.
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 As 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,
The sailors wanted to leave the ship, and had lowered the boat, on pretence of running out anchors from the bows,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved."
when Paul said to the Roman officer and his men, ‘Unless the sailors remain on board, you cannot be saved.’
32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.
So the soldiers cut the ropes which held the boat, and let her drift away.
33 While the day was coming on, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken 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 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is for your preservation; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads."
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 When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.
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 they all cheered up, and they also took food.
and the men all felt cheered and had something to eat themselves.
37 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.
There were about seventy-six of us on board, all told.
38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
After satisfying their hunger, they further lightened the ship by throwing the grain 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.
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 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.
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 But 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.
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 The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.
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, 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;
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 rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the 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.

< Acts 27 >