The Shipwreck

27 [On] the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea.[fn] About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings [and] found that [the water] [was] twenty fathoms [deep].[fn] Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.[fn] 29 Fearing that we would run aground on [the] rocks they dropped four anchors from [the] stern [and] prayed for daybreak

30 Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from [the] bow, they let the lifeboat {down} into the sea. 31 [But] Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these [men] remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 [So] the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

33 Right up to daybreak Paul kept urging them all to eat “Today [is your] fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food 34 So for your [own] preservation, I urge you to eat something because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

35 [After] he had said this, [Paul] took bread [and] gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke [it] [and] began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and took [some] food themselves. 37 In all, there were 276 of us on [board]. 38 [After] [the men] had eaten their fill they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship {aground} if they could. 40 Cutting away the anchors, they left [them] in the sea as they loosened the ropes [that held] the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the [wind] [and] made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar [and] ran aground. The bow stuck fast [and] would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. 43 But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s [ life ], thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first [and] get to land. 44 The rest [were to follow] on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.