Acts
Chapter 27
1 When it was decided that we would sail to Italy, they handed Paul and some other prisoners over to a man named Julius, who was a captain in Augustus’ army.
2 We got on a boat from Adramyttium and set sail to pass by the coasts of Asia, with a man named Aristarchus from Thessalonica in Macedonia joining us.
3 The next day we arrived at Sidon. Julius kindly treated Paul and allowed him to visit his friends to rest.
4 After we left there, we sailed near Cyprus because the winds were against us.
5 After crossing the sea near Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra, a city in Lycia.
6 The officer found a ship from Alexandria going to Italy and put us on it.
7 After sailing slowly for many days and barely passing Cnidus because the wind was against us, we sailed below Crete, near Salmone.
8 After barely getting past it, they reached a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
9 After a lot of time had passed, and sailing had become risky because the time of fasting was over, Paul warned them.
10 He said to them, “Friends, I see that this trip will bring harm and much loss, not just to the cargo and the ship, but to our lives too.”
11 The officer trusted the ship’s captain and owner more than what Paul said.
12 Since the harbor wasn’t good for staying the winter, most people suggested leaving to try to reach Phoenix and spend the winter there; it’s a harbor on Crete, facing southwest and northwest.
13 When the south wind gently blew, thinking they had achieved their goal, they left and sailed near Crete.
14 Soon after, a strong storm called Euroclydon came up against it.
15 When the ship was trapped and couldn’t sail into the wind, we let it go wherever it was pushed.
16 Sailing close to an island named Clauda, we worked hard to secure the lifeboat.
17 After they lifted it, they supported the ship with ropes. Worried about hitting the sandbanks, they lowered the sails and let the wind carry them.
18 We were greatly shaken by a storm, so the next day they threw cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
19 On the third day, we threw the ship’s equipment overboard with our own hands.
20 When the sun and stars did not show for many days and a big storm was upon us, we lost all hope of being saved.
21 But after not eating for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Friends, you should have listened to me and not left Crete, then we could have avoided this trouble and loss.”
22 I encourage you to stay positive because no one will lose their life, only the ship will be lost.
23 Last night, God’s angel, who I belong to and serve, stood by me.
24 “God says, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You will be taken to Caesar, and God has granted the safety of everyone sailing with you.’”
25 So, friends, cheer up: for I trust God, that it will happen just as I was told.
26 We have to land on a certain island.
27 On the fourteenth night, as we were still being tossed around in the sea near Adria, around midnight the sailors thought we were getting close to land.
28 They measured and found it was twenty fathoms deep. After going a bit further, they measured again and it was fifteen fathoms deep.
29 Afraid we might hit rocks, they threw four anchors from the back of the ship and hoped for daylight.
30 As the sailors were trying to escape from the ship by lowering the lifeboat into the sea, pretending they were going to drop anchors from the front of the ship,
31 Paul told the officer and soldiers, “If these men don’t stay on the ship, you won’t be saved.”
32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat and let it drift away.
33 As the day began, Paul urged everyone to eat, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you’ve waited and fasted without eating anything.”
34 So I ask you to eat some food, because it is good for you. Not even a single hair from your heads will be lost.
35 After saying this, he took some bread, thanked God in front of everyone, broke it, and started to eat.
36 Then they all felt encouraged and ate some food.
37 There were 276 of us on the ship.
38 After they ate enough, they made the ship lighter by throwing the wheat into the sea.
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a beach and decided to try to drive the ship onto it if they could.
40 After they lifted the anchors, they let themselves go on the sea, released the steering ropes, raised the main sail to catch the wind, and headed for the shore.
41 They crashed the ship where two seas came together; the front stuck firm and wouldn’t move, while the back part broke from the strong waves.
42 The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away and escaping.
43 The officer, wanting to save Paul, stopped them from their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump into the sea and go to shore first.
44 The others held onto planks or pieces of the ship, and this way, everyone safely reached shore.