AICNT ACTs chapter 27

27 But when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan Cohort. 2 Boarding a ship from Adramyttium {that was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea}, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for.

4 From there we put out to sea again and sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 After we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.

6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”

11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

12 But since the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority decided to set sail from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, to spend the winter.

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the {Northeaster},[fn] swept down from the island. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way and were driven along.

16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called {Cauda},[fn] we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.

18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.

19 On the third day, {they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands}.[fn]

20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 For this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

27 But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were approaching some land. 28 And having cast, they found twenty fathoms; and having gone a little farther, they cast again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run aground on the rocky coast, they cast four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.

30 But the sailors seeking to escape from the ship, and having lowered the boat into the sea, under the pretext of intending to extend anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it go.

33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and have continued without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food; for this is for your safety, for not a hair from the head of any of you will {perish}.”[fn]

35 And when he had said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all became cheerful and themselves took some food.

37 We were in all two hundred seventy-six persons in the ship. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned to run the ship ashore if they could. 40 And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes of the rudders and hoisting the foresail to the blowing wind, they held course for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force [of the waves].[fn]

42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape.

43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to throw themselves overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship.

27:14, Northeaster: Some manuscripts read “Southeaster.”

27:16, Cauda: Some manuscripts read “Clauda.”

27:19, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands: Some manuscripts read “we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands.”

27:34, perish: Some manuscripts read “fall.”

27:41, of the waves: NA28 THGNT ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. SBLGNT

Demonstration version—prototype quality only—still in development

AICNT ACTs Chapter 27