Acts 28:1-10

1When we were safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

2The people who lived on the island were unusually kind to us. They made a fire and welcomed all of us around it because of the rain and the cold.

3Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire. The heat forced a poisonous snake out of the brushwood. The snake bit Paul’s hand and wouldn’t let go.

4When the people who lived on the island saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but justice won’t let him live.”

5Paul shook the snake into the fire and wasn’t harmed.

6The people were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they had waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7A man named Publius, who was the governor of the island, had property around the area. He welcomed us and treated us kindly, and for three days we were his guests.

8His father happened to be sick in bed. He was suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, placed his hands on him, and made him well.

9After that had happened, other sick people on the island went to Paul and were made well.

10They showed respect for us in many ways, and when we were going to set sail, they put whatever we needed on board.