Acts 27–28

And when ^ait was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ ^bband. ²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of ^cAsia; one ^dAristarchus, a Macedonian of ^eThessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we touched at ^fSidon. And Julius ^gcourteously entreated Paul, and ^hgave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. ⁴And when we had launched from thence, we ⁱsailed under ^jCyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of ^kCilicia and ^lPamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of ^mLycia. ⁶And there the centurion found ⁿa ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against ^mCnidus, ^othe wind not suffering us, we ⁱsailed under ^pCrete, over against Salmone; ⁸and, hardly ^qpassing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. ⁹Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with ^rhurt and much ^rdamage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the ^smaster and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. ¹²And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is a haven of ^pCrete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. ¹³And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their ^tpurpose, loosing thence, they ^qsailed close by ^pCrete. ¹⁴But not long after there arose ^uagainst it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ¹⁶And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: ¹⁷which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and fearing lest they should ^vfall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ¹⁸And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they ^wlightened the ship; ¹⁹and the third day we ^wcast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. ²¹But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ^xye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from ^pCrete, and to have gained this ^rharm and ^rloss. ²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. ²³For ^ythere ^zstood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and ^awhom I serve, ²⁴saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath ^bgiven thee all them that sail with thee. ²⁵Wherefore, sirs, ^cbe of good cheer: ^dfor I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ²⁶Howbeit ^ewe must be ^fcast upon a certain island.

²⁷But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; ²⁸and sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Then fearing lest we should have ^ffallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. ³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down ^gthe boat into the sea, ^hunder colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 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 ⁱropes of the boat, and ^jlet her ^ffall off. ³³And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ³⁴Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for ^kthere shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. ³⁵And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and ^lgave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ³⁶Then were they all ^cof good cheer, and they also took some meat. ³⁷And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen ^msouls. ³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. ⁴⁰And when they had taken up ^othe anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and ^ploosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. ⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, ^qthey ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: ⁴⁴and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, ^rthat they escaped all safe to land.

XXVIII.And when they were escaped, ^athen they knew that ^bthe island was called Melita. ²And ^cthe barbarous people shewed us ^dno little ^ekindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. ³And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴And when ^cthe barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, ^fNo doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, ^gyet Vengeance suffereth not to live. ⁵And he shook off the beast into the fire, and ^hfelt no harm. ⁶Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw ⁱno harm come to him, they changed their minds, and ^ksaid that he was a god. ⁷In the same quarters were possessions of ^lthe chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days ^mcourteously. ⁸And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flixe: to whom Paul entered in, and ⁿprayed, and ^olaid his hands on him, and healed him. ⁹So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: ¹⁰who also honoured us with many ^phonours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

¹¹And after three months we departed in ^qa ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. ¹²And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. ¹³And from thence we fet a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: ¹⁴where we found ^rbrethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. ¹⁵And from thence, when ^rthe brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. ¹⁶And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but ^sPaul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

¹⁷And it came to pass, that ^tafter three days Paul called ^lthe chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, ^uthough I have committed nothing against the people, or ^wcustoms of our fathers, yet ^xwas I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸Who, when they had ^yexamined me, ^zwould have let me go, ^ubecause there was no cause of death in me. ¹⁹But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to ^aappeal unto Cesar; not that ^bI had ought to accuse my nation of. ²⁰For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that ^cfor the hope ^dof Israel I am bound with ^ethis chain. ²¹And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. ²²But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this ^fsect, we know that every where ^git is spoken against. ²³And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he ^hexpounded and ⁱtestified ^kthe kingdom of God, ^klpersuading them concerning Jesus, ^mboth out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. ²⁴And ⁿsome believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. ²⁵And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, ²⁶saying, ^oGo unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ²⁸Be it known therefore unto you, that ^pthe salvation of God is sent ^qunto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. ²⁹And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great ^rreasoning among themselves.

³⁰And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired…