Acts 27

1verseWhen 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.

2verseEmbarking 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.

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

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

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

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

7verseWhen 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.

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

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

10verseand 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.”

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

12verseBecause 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.

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

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

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

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

17verseAfter 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.

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

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

20verseWhen 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.

21verseWhen 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.

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

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

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

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

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

27verseBut 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.

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

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

30verseAs 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,

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

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

33verseWhile 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.

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

35verseWhen 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.

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

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

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

39verseWhen 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.

40verseCasting 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.

41verseBut 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.

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

43verseBut 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;

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