1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.3The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.4From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.5When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.7We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.8We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.9Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[1] 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.’11But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.12Since the harbour was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbour in Crete, facing both south-west and north-west.
The storm
13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.14Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the ‘North-Easter’, swept down from the island.15The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.16As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure,17so 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 sand-bars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[2] and let the ship be driven along.18We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.19On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.21After 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.22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me24and 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.”25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.’
The shipwreck
27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[3] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.28They took soundings and found that the water was forty metres deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was thirty metres deep.29Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.30In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.31Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.’32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. ‘For the last fourteen days,’ he said, ‘you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food – you haven’t eaten anything.34Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.’35After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.37Altogether there were 276 of us on board.38When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.39When daylight came, they did not recognise the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.40Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.41But the ship struck a sand-bar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.43But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.44The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
Acts 27
English Standard Version
Paul Sails for Rome
1And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. (Ac 10:1; Ac 16:10; Ac 25:12; Ac 25:25)2And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. (Ac 19:29)3The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. (Ac 24:23; Ac 27:43; Ac 28:2; Ac 28:16; Ac 28:30)4And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.5And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. (Ac 28:11)7We 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.8Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.9Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast[1] was already over, Paul advised them, (Le 16:29; Le 23:27; Nu 29:7)10saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” (Ac 27:21)11But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. (Re 18:17)12And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The Storm at Sea
13Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore.14But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. (Mr 4:37)15And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.16Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,[2] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat.17After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,[3] and thus they were driven along. (Ac 27:26; Ac 27:29)18Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. (Jon 1:5; Ac 27:38)19And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.21Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. (Ac 27:10)22Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. (Ac 27:25; Ac 27:36)23For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, (Ps 119:94; Da 5:23; Da 6:16; Ac 8:26; Ac 18:9; Ac 23:11; Ac 24:14; 2Ti 4:17)24and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ (Ge 18:26; Ge 19:21; Ge 19:29; Eze 14:14; Ac 23:11)25So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.26But we must run aground on some island.” (Ac 27:17; Ac 27:29; Ac 28:1)27When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land.28So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.[4] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.[5]29And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. (Ac 27:17; Ac 27:26)30And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, (Ac 27:16)31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.33As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing.34Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,[6] for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” (1Sa 14:45; 2Sa 14:11; 1Ki 1:52; Mt 10:30; Lu 21:18)35And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. (Mt 15:36)36Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (Ac 27:22)37(We were in all 276[7] persons in the ship.) (Ac 2:41; Ac 7:14; Ro 13:1; 1Pe 3:20)38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. (Ac 27:18)
The Shipwreck
39Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. (Ac 28:1)40So 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.41But striking a reef,[8] they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. (2Co 11:25)42The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. (Ac 12:19)43But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, (Ac 27:3)44and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. (Ac 27:22)