Act 27 | Comm | STEP | When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius.

Acts 27

1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship from Adramyttium, which 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 put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 We put out to sea from there and sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 When 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 he put us aboard it. 7 When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete, off Salmone. 8 We sailed along it with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 As much time had been lost, and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, 10 and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." 11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship than by what was being said by Paul.

12 Because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 13 When a gentle south wind came up, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. 14 But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called the northeaster; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were scarcely able to secure the boat. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables to undergird the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. 18 The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to throw the cargo overboard; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was raging on us, all hope of our being saved was finally abandoned.

21 When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage; for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island." 27 But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to sense that they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak. 30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the lifeboat into the sea, on the pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved." 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall away. 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 without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food; it will give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you." 35 Having 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 were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. 38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39 When day came, they could not recognize the land, but they did observe a bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders; then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a sandbar they ran the vessel aground; the bow stuck fast and remained immovable, and the stern was broken up by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest on planks or on various pieces of the ship. And so it happened that they were all brought safely to land.