Paul Sails for Rome

1And, when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion, Julius by name, of the Augustan band. 2And, embarking upon a ship of Adramyttium, about to sail along the coasts of Asia, we put to Sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 3And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul humanely, gave him permission to go to his friends to receive their attention. 4And, thence putting out to sea, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5And, sailing over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6And there the centurion, finding an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, put us on board of it. 7And, sailing slowly many days, and with difficulty having come over against Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to approach, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; 8and, coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near which was a city?Lasea.

9And much time having been spent, and sailing being already dangerous, because also the fast had already gone by, Paul was admonishing them, 10saying, "Men! I perceive that the voyage is likely to be with violence and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives. 11But the centurion believed the pilot and the owner of the ship, more than the things spoken by Paul. 12And, because the harbor was incommodious to winter in, the greater part advised to set sail thence, if by any means, having reached Phoenix, a harbor of Crete?looking toward the south-west and north-west ?we might be able to winter there.

The Storm at Sea

13And, when the south wind was blowing gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, lifting anchor, they were coasting nearer to Crete.

14But, not long after, there beat down upon it a tempestuous wind, which is called Euroclydon. 15And, the ship being caught, and unable to face the wind, yielding to it, we were borne along. 16And, running under a certain small island, called Clauda, we were with difficulty able to secure the boat; 17which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, lowering the sail, so they were borne along. 18And, we being violently tempest-tossed, the next day they were making an overthrow of the cargo; 19and, on the third day, with their own hands, they cast out the rigging of the ship. 20And, when neither sun nor stars appeared to us for many days, and no small tempest was pressing upon us, henceforth all hope that we should be saved was being utterly taken away.

21And, after long abstinence from food, then Paul, standing up in the midst of them, said, "Ye ought, indeed, O men, hearkening to me, not to have set sail from Crete, and to have incurred this violence and loss. 22And, as to the present things, I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there will be no loss of soul among you, but only of the ship. 23For there stood by me this night an angel of the God Whose I am, and Whom I serve, 24saying, 'Fear not, Paul; it is necessary that you should stand before Caesar, and, behold, God has granted to you as a favor all those sailing with you.' 25Wherefore, men, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it will be even so as it has been told me. 26But we must be cast out on a certain island."

The Shipwreck

27And, when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven along the Adria, about midnight the sailors were surmising that some country was approaching them; 28and, sounding, they found twenty fathoms; and, going a little further, and again sounding, they found fifteen fathoms. 29And, fearing lest perhaps we might wreck against rocky places, having cast four anchors out of the stern, they were praying that day would come. 30And, when the sailors were seeking to escape out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, by pretext, as though they were about to cast anchors out of the prow, 31Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." 32Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and suffered it to fall off.

33And, when the day was about to dawn, Paul was beseeching them all to take food, saying, "To-day is the fourteenth day ye, waiting, continue fasting, having taken nothing; 34wherefore, I beseech you to partake of food; for this makes the beginning of your deliverance; for a hair from the head of no one of you shall perish." 35And, having said these things, and taken bread, he gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and, breaking it, he began to eat. 36And, all having become of good cheer, they themselves also partook of food. 37And we were in all in the ship two hundred and seventy-six souls. 38And, having been satisfied with food, they were lightening the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

39And, when it was day, they were not recognizing the land; but they were observing a certain bay, having a beach, into which they purposed, if they might be able, to thrust the ship. 40And, casting off the anchors, they let them go into the sea; at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders, and hoisting the fore-sail to the breeze, they were holding their course towards the beach. 41But, falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow, sticking fast, remained immovable, but the stern was being broken to pieces by the violence of the waves. 42Now it was the plan of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, lest any one, swimming out, might escape. 43But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and he commanded that those able to swim, throwing themselves first into the sea, should get out upon the land; 44and the rest?some, indeed, on planks, and others on some of the things from the Ship. And so it came to pass that all escaped safe to land.