Acts 27:1–28

SAILING FOR ROME

27When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.^{Ad 2}When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.^{e 3}The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.^{f 4}When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us. ⁵After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.^{g 6}There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. ⁷Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone. ⁸With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.

PAUL’S ADVICE IGNORED

⁹By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement^Ch was already over, Paul gave his advice ¹⁰and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” ¹¹But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.^{i 12}Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete^j facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

STORM-TOSSED SHIP

¹³When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴But before long, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. ¹⁵Since the ship was caught and unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda,^D we were barely able to get control of the skiff. ¹⁷After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. ¹⁸Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day.^{k 19}On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.

²¹Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. ²²Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. ²³For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me^{l 24}and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ ²⁵So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.^{m 26}But we have to run aground on some island.”ⁿ

²⁷When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and about midnight the sailors thought they were approaching land. ²⁸They took soundings and found it to be a hundred twenty feet^A deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be ninety feet^B deep.