LEB ACTs Chapter 27

Paul and His Associates Sail for Rome

27 And when it was decided that we would sail away to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named[fn] Julius of the Augustan[fn] Cohort. 2 And we went aboard a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to the places along the coast[fn] of Asia[fn] and[fn] put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. 3 And on the next day, we put in at Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul kindly, allowed him[fn] to go to his[fn] friends to be cared for.[fn] 4 And from there we put out to sea and[fn] sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.[fn] 5 And after we[fn] had sailed across the open sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia, we put in at Myra in Lycia. 6 And there the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and[fn] put us on board[fn] it. 7 And sailing slowly, in many days and with difficulty we came[fn] to Cnidus. Because[fn] the wind did not permit us to go further, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 And sailing along its coast with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near which was the town of Lasea.

9 And because[fn] considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast[fn] was already over, Paul strongly recommended, 10 saying to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage is going to end[fn] with disaster and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives!” 11 But the centurion was convinced even more by the shipmaster and the shipowner than by what was said by Paul. 12 And because[fn] the harbor was unsuitable for spending the winter in, the majority decided on a plan to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could arrive at Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing toward the southwest and toward the northwest, to spend the winter there.[fn]

A Violent Storm at Sea

13 And when[fn] a southwest wind began to blow gently, because they[fn] thought they could accomplish their purpose, they weighed anchor and[fn] sailed close along Crete. 14 But not long afterward a wind like a hurricane, called the northeaster,[fn] rushed down from it.[fn] 15 And when[fn] the ship was caught and was not able to head into the wind, we gave way and[fn] were driven along. 16 And running under the lee of a certain small island called Cauda, we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat under control. 17 After[fn] hoisting it up,[fn] they made use of supports to undergird the ship. And because they[fn] were afraid lest they run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and[fn] thus were driven along. 18 And because[fn] we were violently battered by the storm, on the next day they began[fn] jettisoning the cargo,[fn] 19 and on the third day they threw overboard the gear of the ship with their own hands. 20 But when[fn] neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and with not a little bad weather confronting us,[fn] finally all hope was abandoned that we would be saved.

21 And because[fn] many were experiencing lack of appetite, at that time Paul stood up in their midst and[fn] said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice not to put out to sea from Crete, and thus avoided this damage and loss! 22 And now I urge you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life from among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve came to me, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar, and behold, God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.’ 25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will be like this—according to the[fn] way it was told to me. 26 But it is necessary that we run aground on some island.”

27 And when the fourteenth night had come, as[fn] we were being driven in the Adriatic Sea about the middle of the night, the sailors suspected they were approaching some land.[fn] 28 And taking soundings, they found twenty fathoms. So going on a little further and taking soundings again, they found fifteen fathoms. 29 And because they[fn] were afraid lest somewhere we run aground against rough places, they threw down four anchors from the stern and[fn] prayed for day to come. 30 And when[fn] the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending as if they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved!” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.[fn]

33 And until the day was about to come, Paul was urging them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited anxiously, and[fn] you have continued without eating, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is necessary for your preservation. For not a hair from your head will be lost.” 35 And after he[fn] said these things and took bread, he gave thanks to God in front of them all, and after[fn] breaking it,[fn] he began to eat. 36 So they all were[fn] encouraged and partook of food themselves. 37 (Now we were in all two hundred seventy six persons on the ship.) 38 And when they[fn] had eaten their fill of food, they lightened the ship by[fn] throwing the wheat[fn] into the sea.

The Shipwreck

39 Now when day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay having a beach, onto which they decided to run the ship ashore if they could. 40 And slipping the anchors, they left them[fn] in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes[fn] of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the wind that was blowing, they held course for the beach. 41 But falling into a place of crosscurrents,[fn] they ran the ship aground. And the bow stuck fast and[fn] stayed immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence.[fn] 42 Now the plan of the soldiers was that they would kill the prisoners lest any escape by[fn] swimming away, 43 but the centurion, because he[fn] wanted to save Paul, prevented them from doing what they intended,[fn] and gave orders that those who were able to swim should jump in first to get to the land, 44 and then the rest, some of whom floated[fn] on planks and some of whom on anything that was from the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to the land.