Paul Sails for Rome
1 When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they handed Paul and some other prisoners over to Julius, an officer in the Roman army regiment called “The Emperor's Regiment.” 2 We went aboard a ship from Adramyttium, which was ready to leave for the seaports of the province of Asia, and we sailed away. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. 3 The next day we arrived at Sidon. Julius was kind to Paul and allowed him to go and see his friends, to be given what he needed. 4 We went on from there, and because the winds were blowing against us, we sailed on the sheltered side of the island of Cyprus. 5 We crossed over the sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia and came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the officer found a ship from Alexandria that was going to sail for Italy, so he put us aboard.
7 We sailed slowly for several days and with great difficulty finally arrived off the town of Cnidus. The wind would not let us go any farther in that direction, so we sailed down the sheltered side of the island of Crete, passing by Cape Salmone. 8 We kept close to the coast and with great difficulty came to a place called Safe Harbors, not far from the town of Lasea.
9 We spent a long time there, until it became dangerous to continue the voyage, for by now the Day of Atonement was already past. So Paul gave them this advice: 10 “Men, I see that our voyage from here on will be dangerous; there will be great damage to the cargo and to the ship, and loss of life as well.” 11 But the army officer was convinced by what the captain and the owner of the ship said, and not by what Paul said. 12 The harbor was not a good one to spend the winter in; so almost everyone was in favor of putting out to sea and trying to reach Phoenix, if possible, in order to spend the winter there. Phoenix is a harbor in Crete that faces southwest and northwest.
The Storm at Sea
13 A soft wind from the south began to blow, and the men thought that they could carry out their plan, so they pulled up the anchor and sailed as close as possible along the coast of Crete. 14 But soon a very strong wind—the one called “Northeaster”—blew down from the island. 15 It hit the ship, and since it was impossible to keep the ship headed into the wind, we gave up trying and let it be carried along by the wind. 16 We got some shelter when we passed to the south of the little island of Cauda. There, with some difficulty we managed to make the ship's boat secure. 17 They pulled it aboard and then fastened some ropes tight around the ship. They were afraid that they might run into the sandbanks off the coast of Libya, so they lowered the sail and let the ship be carried by the wind. 18 The violent storm continued, so on the next day they began to throw some of the ship's cargo overboard, 19 and on the following day they threw part of the ship's equipment overboard. 20 For many days we could not see the sun or the stars, and the wind kept on blowing very hard. We finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After everyone had gone a long time without food, Paul stood before them and said, “You should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete; then we would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But now I beg you, take courage! Not one of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship came to me 24 and said, ‘Don't be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the Emperor. And God in his goodness to you has spared the lives of all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage, men! For I trust in God that it will be just as I was told. 26 But we will be driven ashore on some island.”
27 It was the fourteenth night, and we were being driven in the Mediterranean by the storm. About midnight the sailors suspected that we were getting close to land. 28 So they dropped a line with a weight tied to it and found that the water was one hundred and twenty feet deep; a little later they did the same and found that it was ninety feet deep. 29 They were afraid that the ship would go on the rocks, so they lowered four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. 30 Then the sailors tried to escape from the ship; they lowered the boat into the water and pretended that they were going to put out some anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the army officer and soldiers, “If the sailors don't stay on board, you have no hope of being saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the boat and let it go.
33 Just before dawn, Paul begged them all to eat some food: “You have been waiting for fourteen days now, and all this time you have not eaten a thing. 34 I beg you, then, eat some food; you need it in order to survive. Not even a hair of your heads will be lost.” 35 After saying this, Paul took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, broke it, and began to eat. 36 They took courage, and every one of them also ate some food. 37 There was a total of 276 of us on board. 38 After everyone had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing all the wheat into the sea.
The Shipwreck
39 When day came, the sailors did not recognize the coast, but they noticed a bay with a beach and decided that, if possible, they would run the ship aground there. 40 So they cut off the anchors and let them sink in the sea, and at the same time they untied the ropes that held the steering oars. Then they raised the sail at the front of the ship so that the wind would blow the ship forward, and we headed for shore. 41 But the ship hit a sandbank and went aground; the front part of the ship got stuck and could not move, while the back part was being broken to pieces by the violence of the waves.
42 The soldiers made a plan to kill all the prisoners, in order to keep them from swimming ashore and escaping. 43 But the army officer wanted to save Paul, so he stopped them from doing this. Instead, he ordered everyone who could swim to jump overboard first and swim ashore; 44 the rest were to follow, holding on to the planks or to some broken pieces of the ship. And this was how we all got safely ashore.
1 Now when it was concluded, that we should sayle into Italie, they deliuered both Paul, and certaine other prisoners vnto a Centurion named Iulius, of the band of Augustus. 2 And we entred into a ship of Adramyttium purposing to saile by the coastes of Asia, and launched foorth, and had Aristarchus of Macedonia, a Thessalonian, with vs. 3 And the next day we arriued at Sidon: and Iulius courteously entreated Paul, and gaue him libertie to go vnto his friends, that they might refresh him. 4 And from thence we launched, and sayled hard by Cyprus, because ye windes were contrarie. 5 Then sayled we ouer the sea by Cilicia, and Pamphilia, and came to Myra, a citie in Lycia. 6 And there the Centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sayling into Italie, and put vs therein. 7 And when we had sayled slowly many dayes, and scarce were come against Gnidum, because the winde suffered vs not, we sailed hard by Candie, neere to Salmone, 8 And with much adoe sayled beyond it, and came vnto a certaine place called the Faire hauens, neere vnto the which was the citie Lasea. 9 So when much time was spent, and sayling was now ieopardous, because also the Fast was nowe passed, Paul exhorted them, 10 And sayde vnto them, Syrs, I see that this voiage will be with hurt and much damage, not of the lading and ship onely, but also of our liues. 11 Neuertheles the Centurion beleeued rather the gouernour and the master of the ship, then those things which were spoken of Paul. 12 And because the hauen was not commodious to winter in, many tooke counsell to depart thence, if by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice, there to winter, which is an hauen of Candie, and lyeth toward the Southwest and by West, and Northwest and by West. 13 And when the Southerne winde blew softly, they supposing to atteine their purpose, loosed neerer, and sailed by Candie. 14 But anon after, there arose by it a stormy winde called Euroclydon. 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not resist the winde, we let her goe, and were caried away. 16 And we ran vnder a litle Yle named Clauda, and had much a doe to get the boat. 17 Which they tooke vp and vsed all helpe, vndergirding the ship, fearing least they should haue fallen into Syrtes, and they strake saile, and so were caried. 18 The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship. 19 And the third day we cast out with our owne hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away. 21 But after long abstinece, Paul stood forth in the mids of them, and said, Syrs, ye should haue hearkened to me, and not haue loosed from Candie: so should ye haue gained this hurt and losse. 22 But now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shalbe no losse of any mans life among you, saue of the ship onely. 23 For there stood by me this night the Angel of God, whose I am, and whome I serue, 24 Saying, Feare not, Paul: for thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that sayle with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage: for I beleeue God, that it shall be so as it hath bene tolde me. 26 Howbeit, we must be cast into a certaine Iland. 27 And when ye fourteenth night was come, as we were caried to and from in the Adriaticall sea about midnight, the shipmen deemed that some countrey approched vnto them, 28 And sounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a litle further, they sounded againe, and found fifteene fathoms. 29 Then fearing least they should haue fallen into some rough places, they cast foure ancres out of the sterne, and wished that the day were come. 30 Nowe as the mariners were about to flee out of the ship, and had let downe the boat into the sea vnder a colour as though they would haue cast ankers out of the foreship, 31 Paul sayde vnto the Centurion and the souldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye can not be safe. 32 Then the souldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall away. 33 And when it began to be day, Paul exhorted them all to take meate, saying, This is the fourteenth day that ye haue taried, and continued fasting, receiuing nothing: 34 Wherefore I exhort you to take meate: for this is for your safegarde: for there shall not an heare fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, hee tooke bread and gaue thankes to God, in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eate. 36 Then were they all of good courage, and they also tooke meate. 37 Nowe we were in the ship in all two hundreth three score and sixteene soules. 38 And whe they had eaten ynough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knewe not the countrey, but they spied a certaine creeke with a banke, into the which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship. 40 So when they had taken vp the ankers, they committed the ship vnto the sea, and loosed the rudder bonds, and hoised vp the maine saile to the winde, and drewe to the shore. 41 And when they fell into a place, where two seas met, they thrust in the ship: and the forepart stucke fast, and could not be moued, but the hinderpart was broken with the violence of the waues. 42 Then the souldiers counsell was to kill the prisoners, least any of them, when he had swomme out, should flee away. 43 But the Centurion willing to saue Paul, stayed them from this counsell, and commanded that they that coulde swimme, shoulde cast them selues first into the sea, and goe out to land: 44 And the other, some on boardes, and some on certaine pieces of the ship: and so it came to passe that they came all safe to land.