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 started admonishing them, 10saying 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. 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 13Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

1314When a moderate south wind came up, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began 15sailing along 16Crete, closer to shore. 14But before very long a violent wind, called 17Euraquilo, 18rushed down from 19the 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 20boat under control only with difficulty. 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 let themselves be driven along in this way. 18The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, 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 slowly abandoned.

2126When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, “2728Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from 29Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this 30damage and loss. 22And yet now I urge you to 31keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For this very night 32an angel of the God to whom I belong, 33whom I also serve, 34came to me, 24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; 35you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you 36all those who are sailing with you.’ 25Therefore, 37keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that 38it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26But we must 39run aground on a certain 40island.”

27But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that 41they 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 42run aground somewhere on the 43rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and 44prayed for daybreak. 30But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down 45the 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 46ropes 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 47not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35Having said this, he took bread and 48gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36All 49of them 50were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37We were 276 5152people on the ship in all. 38When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by 53throwing the wheat out into the sea.