Acts 27

Paul Is Sent to Rome

1Now when it was decided that 1we 2would sail for 3Italy, they proceeded to turn Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the Augustan 45cohort, named Julius. 2And we boarded an Adramyttian ship that was about to sail to the regions along the coast of 67Asia, and put out to sea accompanied by 8Aristarchus, a 9Macedonian of 10Thessalonica. 3The next day we put in at 11Sidon; and Julius 12treated Paul with consideration and 13allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of 14Cyprus, because 15the winds were contrary. 5When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of 16Cilicia and 17Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an 18Alexandrian ship sailing for 19Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, 20since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of 21Crete, off Salmone; 8and with difficulty 22sailing 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 23the 24fast was already over, Paul started admonishing them, 10saying to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with 25damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion was more persuaded by the 26pilot and the 27captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12The harbor was not suitable for wintering, so the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of 28Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

1329When a moderate south wind came up, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began 30sailing along 31Crete, closer to shore.

Shipwreck

14But before very long a violent wind, called 32Euraquilo, 33rushed down from 34the land; 15and when the ship was caught in it and could not head up into the wind, we gave up and let ourselves be driven by the wind. 16Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were able to get the ship’s 35boat under control only with difficulty. 17After they had hoisted it up, they used 36supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might 37run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the 38sea anchor and let themselves be driven along in this way. 18The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, 39they began to 40jettison 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 slowly abandoned.

2141When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, “4243Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from 44Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this 45damage and loss. 22And yet now I urge you to 46keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For this very night 47an angel of the God to whom I belong, 48whom I also serve, 49came to me, 24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; 50you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you 51all those who are sailing with you.’ 25Therefore, 52keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that 53it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26But we must 54run aground on a certain 55island.”

27But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that 56they were approaching some land. 28And they 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 57run aground somewhere on the 58rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and 59prayed for daybreak. 30But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down 60the ship’s boat into the sea, on the pretense that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain on the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.” 32Then the soldiers cut away the 61ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.

33Until the day was about to dawn, Paul kept 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 in nothing. 34Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your survival, for 62not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35Having said this, he took bread and 63gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36All 64of them 65were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37We were 276 6667people on the ship in all. 38When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by 68throwing the wheat out into the sea.

39Now when day came, 69they 70could not recognize the land; but they did notice a bay with a beach, and they resolved to run the ship onto it if they could. 40And casting off 71the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and they hoisted the foresail to the wind and were heading for the beach. 41But they struck a 72reef where two seas met and ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck firmly and remained immovable, while the stern started to break up due to the force of the waves. 42The soldiers’ plan was to 73kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape; 43but the centurion, 74wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from accomplishing their intention, and commanded that those who could swim were to 75jump overboard first and get to land, 44and the rest were to follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that 76they all were brought safely to land.