Acts 27:1-28

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 Imperial1 Regiment. 2We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia,2 and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

3The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care. 4After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

7After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast.3 So Paul advised them, 10“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”

11But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship. 12Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, hoping that somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.

13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete. 14But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island. 15Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

16Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda,4 we barely managed to secure the lifeboat. 17After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor5 and were driven along.

18We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. 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 great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

21After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship. 23For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

25So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me. 26However, we must run aground on some island.”

27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea.6 About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep.7 Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.8