Acts 27

1When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they handed Paul and certain other prisoners over to a centurion named Julius of the Augustan band.

2We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail to the ports along Asia's coast and set out to sea, Aristarchus—a Macedonian from Thessalonica—accompanying us.

3And the next day we were brought ashore at Sidon, and Julius, having dealt courteously with Paul, permitted him to go to his friends to obtain care.

4And from there, setting sail, we sailed under Cyprus because the winds were contrary.

5And after sailing across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra in Lycia.

6And there the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy and put us aboard it.

7After sailing slowly for many days and barely reaching off Cnidus—the wind not permitting us further—we sailed under Crete, off Salmone.

8And, sailing past it with great difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

9Now after enough time had passed and the sailing was already dangerous because even the fast had already passed by, Paul exhorted them.

10He said to them, “Men, I see that the voyage is going to be with harm and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

11But the centurion trusted the pilot and the ship’s owner more than what Paul said.

12Since the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, most resolved to set sail from there if somehow they could reach Phoenix and winter there, a port of Crete facing southwest and northwest.

13When a gentle south wind blew, supposing they had secured their purpose, they raised anchor and sailed close by Crete.

14But not long after, a tempestuous wind called Euraquilo beat down against her.

15When the ship was caught and could not head into the wind, we gave ourselves up and were carried along.

16And running under a certain small island called Cauda, we were barely able to gain control of the boat.

17After hoisting it aboard, they used supporting cables to undergird the ship; fearing they might be cast onto the Syrtis quicksands, they lowered the gear, and so were driven along.

18As we were being violently storm-tossed, the next day they began to jettison cargo.

19And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle with their own hands.

20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no light storm pressed upon us, all hope for our being saved was finally taken away.

21After much abstinence had set in, Paul stood among them and said, "Men, you should have obeyed me and not set sail from Crete, and gained this harm and loss."

22And now I urge you to take heart, for no life will be lost among you except the ship.

23For an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me this night.

24saying, "Do not fear, Paul. You must appear before Caesar, and look, God has granted you all who sail with you."

25Therefore, take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be exactly as it has been spoken to me.

26But we must be cast onto a certain island.

27When the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic, about midnight the sailors supposed they were drawing near some land.

28They sounded and found twenty fathoms, but after going a little farther, they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms.

29Fearing we might run aground somewhere on rocky places, they cast four anchors from the stern and prayed for the day to come.

30As the sailors sought to escape from the ship and lowered the boat into the sea, they did so under the pretense of casting anchors from the bow.

31Paul said to the centurion and soldiers, "Unless these remain in the ship, you cannot be saved."

32Then the soldiers cut off the boat's ropes and let her fall off.

33As day was about to dawn, Paul kept urging everyone to eat, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you continue fasting while waiting expectantly, having taken nothing."

34Therefore I urge you to eat some food, for this is for your salvation—for no hair from the head of any of you will perish.

35After saying these things and taking bread, he gave thanks to God before them all, broke it, and began to eat.

36Then they all took heart and took food too.

37And altogether we were two hundred seventy-six souls aboard the ship.

38When they had eaten their fill of food, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

39When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they observed a certain bay with a beach, into which they planned, if possible, to drive the ship.

40They cut away the anchors and let them go into the sea, while unfastening the rudder bands at the same time; they raised the mainsail to the blowing wind and headed for the shore.

41But falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground, and the bow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was breaking up from the violence.

42But the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any swim out and escape.

43But the centurion, intent on saving Paul, kept them from their plan and ordered those able to swim to throw themselves overboard first and make for land.

44And the rest, some on planks and others on pieces from the ship, so all of them reached land safely.