Acts 27:16-40

16Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were able to get the ship’s 1boat under control only with difficulty. 17After they had hoisted it up, they used 2supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might 3run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the 4sea anchor and let themselves be driven along in this way. 18The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, 5they began to 6jettison 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.

217When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, “89Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from 10Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this 11damage and loss. 22And yet now I urge you to 12keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For this very night 13an angel of the God to whom I belong, 14whom I also serve, 15came to me, 24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; 16you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you 17all those who are sailing with you.’ 25Therefore, 18keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that 19it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26But we must 20run aground on a certain 21island.”

27But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that 22they 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 23run aground somewhere on the 24rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and 25prayed for daybreak. 30But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down 26the 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 27ropes 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 28not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35Having said this, he took bread and 29gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36All 30of them 31were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37We were 276 3233people on the ship in all. 38When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by 34throwing the wheat out into the sea.

39Now when day came, 35they 36could 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 37the 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.