The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 27 -

And when our sailing to Italy was determined, they were delivering up both Paul and certain others, prisoners, to a centurion, by name Julius, of the band of Sebastus,

and having embarked in a ship of Adramyttium, we, being about to sail by the coasts of Asia, set sail, there being with us Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica,

on the next [day] also we touched at Sidon, and Julius, courteously treating Paul, permitted [him], having gone on to friends, to receive [their] care.

And there, having set sail, we sailed under Cyprus, because of the winds being contrary,

and having sailed over the sea down by Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myria of Lycia,

and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria, sailing to Italy, put us into it,

and having sailed slowly many days, and with difficulty coming down by Cnidus, the wind not permitting us, we sailed under Crete, down by Salmone,

and hardly passing it, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of Lasaea.

And much time being spent, and the sailing now being dangerous—because of the fast also being already past—Paul was admonishing,

saying to them, “Men, I perceive that with hurt, and much damage, not only of the load and of the ship, but also of our lives—the voyage is about to be”;

but the centurion gave more credence to the pilot and to the shipowner than to the things spoken by Paul;

and the haven being not well placed to winter in, the greater part gave counsel to sail from there, if somehow they might be able, having attained to Phoenix, to winter [there], [which is] a haven of Crete, looking to the southwest and northwest,

The Storm at Sea

(Jonah 1:4–10)

and a south wind blowing softly, having thought they had obtained [their] purpose, having lifted anchor, they sailed close by Crete,

and not long after, there came down from it a turbulent wind [that] is called the Euroclydon,

and the ship being caught, and not being able to bear up against the wind, having given [her] up, we were carried on,

and having run under a certain little island called Clauda, we were hardly able to become masters of the boat,

which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they may fall into the [sandbars of] Syrtis, having let down the mast—so were carried on.

And we, being exceedingly storm-tossed, the succeeding [day] they were making a clearing,

and on the third [day] we cast out the tackling of the ship with our own hands,

and neither sun nor stars appearing for more days, and not a little storm lying on us, from then on all hope was taken away of our being saved.

And there having been long fasting, then Paul having stood in the midst of them, said, “It was necessary, indeed, O men—having listened to me—not to set sail from Crete, and to save this hurt and damage;

and now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there will be no loss of life among you—but of the ship;

for this night there stood by me a messenger of God—whose I am, and whom I serve—

saying, Do not be afraid Paul; it is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted to you all those sailing with you;

for this reason be of good cheer, men! For I believe God, that so it will be, even as it has been spoken to me,

and on a certain island it is necessary for us to be cast.”

The Shipwreck

And when the fourteenth night came—we being carried up and down in the Adria—toward the middle of the night the sailors were supposing that some country drew near to them;

and having sounded they found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther, and again having sounded, they found fifteen fathoms,

and fearing lest we may fall on rough places, having cast four anchors out of the stern, they were wishing day to come.

And the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat to the sea, in pretense as [if] out of the prow they are about to cast anchors,

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “If these do not remain in the ship—you are not able to be saved”;

then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and permitted it to fall off.

And until the day was about to be, Paul was calling on all to partake of nourishment, saying, “Fourteen days today, waiting, you continue fasting, having taken nothing,

for this reason I call on you to take nourishment, for this is for your safety, for of not one of you will a hair fall from the head”;

and having said these things, and having taken bread, he gave thanks to God before all, and having broken [it], he began to eat;

and all having become of good cheer, also took food themselves,

(and we were—all the souls in the ship—two hundred, seventy-six),

and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea.

And when the day came, they were not discerning the land, but were perceiving a certain bay having a beach, into which they took counsel, if possible, to thrust forward the ship,

and having taken up the anchors, they were committing [it] to the sea, at the same time—having loosed the bands of the rudders, and having hoisted up the foresail to the wind—they were making for the shore,

and having fallen into a place of two seas, they ran the ship aground, and the prow, indeed, having stuck fast, remained immoveable, but the stern was broken by the violence of the waves.

And the soldiers’ counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone having swam out should escape,

but the centurion, resolving to save Paul, hindered them from the counsel, and commanded those able to swim, having cast themselves out first—to get to the land,

and the rest, some indeed on boards, and some on certain things of the ship; and thus it came to pass that all came safe to the land.

When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them

and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

(Jonah 1:4–10)

When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.(a)

When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss.

Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

But we must run aground on a certain island.”

The Shipwreck

But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

They took soundings and found twenty fathoms.(b) After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.(c)

Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”

When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat.

Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;

and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

Footnotes

(a)27:14 Or, “a northeaster”.

(b)27:28 20 fathoms = 120 feet = 36.6 meters