Acts 27:5-38

5When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of 1Cilicia and 2Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an 3Alexandrian ship sailing for 4Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, 5since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of 6Crete, off Salmone; 8and with difficulty 7sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

9When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even 8the 9fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, 10and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with 10damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion was more persuaded by the 11pilot and the 12captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of 13Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

1314When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began 15sailing along 16Crete, close inshore. 14But before very long there 17rushed down from 18the land a violent wind, called 19Euraquilo; 15and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. 16Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship’s 20boat under control. 17After they had hoisted it up, they used 21supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might 22run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the 23sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. 18The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, 24they began to 25jettison the cargo; 19and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.

2126When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, “27Men, you ought to have 28followed my advice and not to have set sail from 29Crete and 30incurred this 31damage and loss. 22Yet now I urge you to 32keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For this very night 33an angel of the God to whom I belong and 34whom I serve 35stood before me, 24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; 36you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you 37all those who are sailing with you.’ 25Therefore, 38keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that 39it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26But we must 40run aground on a certain 41island.”

27But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that 42they were approaching some land. 28They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29Fearing that we might 43run aground somewhere on the 44rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and 45wished for daybreak. 30But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down 46the ship’s boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.” 32Then the soldiers cut away the 47ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.

33Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. 34Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for 48not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35Having said this, he took bread and 49gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36All 50of them 51were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six 5253persons. 38When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by 54throwing out the wheat into the sea.