Acts 27

Paul Sails to Italy

1When it was decided that we # 27:1 It is likely that Luke rejoined Paul here and sailed with him to Rome. were to sail for Italy, Festus handed over Paul and a number of other prisoners to the custody of a Roman officer named Julius, a member of the imperial guard. 2We went on board a ship from the port of Adramyttium # 27:2 Adramyttium (modern-day Edrimit, Turkey) was a seaport in the Roman colony of Mysia. Adramyttium means “I will abide in death.” that was planning to stop at various ports along the coast of southwestern Turkey. # 27:2 Or “the coast of the province of Asia” (Minor). We put out to sea and were accompanied by Aristarchus # 27:2 Aristarchus means “the best leader.” from Thessalonica in Macedonia.

3The next day we docked at Sidon, # 27:3 A Phoenician city now in modern-day Lebanon. and Julius, being considerate of Paul, allowed him to disembark and be refreshed by his friends living there. 4From there we put out to sea, but because the winds # 27:4 The Aramaic can be translated “the spirits were against us.” were against us, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus. # 27:4 That is, east and north of the island. 5After sailing across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we docked at the port of Myra in Lycia. 6While we were there, the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board.

7We made little headway for several days, and with difficulty we made it to Knidus. # 27:7 Or “Cnidus,” an ancient port city on the Gulf of Gökova on the coast of Turkey. The strong winds kept us from holding our course, so from there we sailed along the lee of Crete, # 27:7 The Aramaic is “we circled Crete.” opposite Cape Salome. 8Hugging the coast, we struggled on to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. 9We remained there a long time, until we passed the day of the Jewish fast. # 27:9 This was possibly the Day of Atonement, when every Jew fasts.

Paul advised the frightened sailors that they should not put out to sea in such dangerous weather, # 27:9 As translated from the Aramaic. This was the season the Romans called mare clausum, the closed sea, when the Mediterranean was not navigable. saying, 10“Men, I can see that our voyage would be disastrous for us and bring great loss, not only to our ship and cargo but also to our own lives. We should remain here.” # 27:10 This was clearly prophetic revelation given to the apostle Paul.

11But the officer in charge was persuaded more by the ship’s helmsman and captain # 27:11 Or “ship’s owner.” than he was by Paul. 12So the majority decided to put out to sea, since Fair Haven was an exposed harbor and not suitable to winter in. They had hoped to somehow reach the Cretan port of Phineka, # 27:12 Or “Phoenix.” which was a more suitable port because it was facing south. # 27:12 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “looking toward Lips and Choros.” Lips was the Greek term for the “winds from the southwest,” and Choros the word for “winds from the northwest.”

13When a gentle south breeze began to blow, they assumed they could make it, so they pulled up anchor and sailed close to Crete. 14But it wasn’t long before the weather abruptly worsened and a storm of hurricane force called the Nor’easter # 27:14 The Aramaic is “Euroclydon’s typhoon.” tore across the island and blew us out to sea. 15The sailors weren’t able to turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it be driven by the gale winds. # 27:15 The Aramaic is “we surrendered to its power.”

16As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, # 27:16 Or “Gaudos.” we were barely able to get the ship’s lifeboat under control, 17so the crew hoisted the dinghy aboard. The sailors used ropes and cables to undergird the ship, # 27:17 The Aramaic is “They tied down the lifeboat on the ship, lest it fall into the sea.” fearing they would run aground on the shoals of Syrtis. # 27:17 This was a shallow region full of reefs and sandbars off the coast of Libya between Benghazi and Tripoli. They lowered the drag anchor to slow its speed and let the ship be driven along.

18The next day, because of being battered severely by the storm, the sailors jettisoned the cargo, 19and by the third day they even threw the ship’s tackle and rigging overboard. 20After many days of seeing neither the sun nor the stars, and with the violent storm continuing to rage against us, all hope of ever getting through it alive was abandoned.

21After being without food for a long time, Paul stepped before them all and said, “Men, you should have obeyed # 27:21 The Greek word peitharkheo means “to obey one who is in authority.” Paul was the true captain of the ship and carried the weight of authority. me and avoided all of this pain and suffering by not leaving Crete. 22Now listen to me. Don’t be depressed, for no one will perish—only the ship will be lost. 23For God’s angel visited me last night, the angel of my God, the God I passionately serve. He came and stood in front of me 24and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand trial before Caesar. And because of God’s favor on you, he has given you the lives of everyone who is sailing with you.’ 25So men, keep up your courage! I know that God will protect you, just as he told me he would. 26But we must run aground on some island to be saved.”

27On the fourteenth night of being tossed about the Adriatic Sea, about midnight, the sailors sensed we were approaching land. 28So they took soundings and discovered that the water was about 120 feet deep. # 27:28 Or “twenty fathoms.” After sailing a short distance, they again took soundings and found it was only ninety feet deep. # 27:28 Or “fifteen fathoms.” 29Fearing we would be dashed against a rocky coast, they dropped four anchors from the stern and waited for morning to come.

30Some sailors pretended to go down to drop anchors from the bow when in fact they wanted to lower the lifeboat into the sea and escape, abandoning ship. 31Paul said to the Roman officer and his soldiers, “Unless you all stay together onboard the ship, you have no chance of surviving.” 32At the moment they heard this, the soldiers cut the ropes of the dinghy and let it fall away.

33Just before daybreak, Paul urged everyone to eat. He said, “Today makes two full weeks that you’ve been in fearful peril and hunger, unable to eat a thing. 34Now eat and be nourished. For you’ll all come through this ordeal without a scratch.” # 27:34 Or “Not one hair of your heads will perish.”

35Then Paul took bread and gave thanks to God # 27:35 The Aramaic is “glorified God.” in front of them, broke it and began to eat. 36-37There were 276 people who ate until they were filled, and were strengthened and encouraged. # 27:36–37 Paul served communion on board the ship and fed every passenger and crew member. (Did God multiply the bread?) The language used is vividly eucharistic. There is a variation among many Greek manuscripts as to the total of those who were fed. Some have as few as sixty-nine or seventy. The majority of reliable manuscripts in Greek and Aramaic have 276. 38After they were satisfied, they threw the grain into the sea to lighten the ship.

Paul Is Shipwrecked

39When daylight came, the sailors didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a cove with a sandy beach, so they decided to run the ship ashore. 40They cut away the anchors, leaving them in the sea, untied the ropes holding the rudders, and hoisted the foresail to the breeze to head for the beach. 41But they drifted into the rocky shoals between two depths of the sea, causing the ship to flounder still a distance from shore. The bow was stuck fast, jammed on the rocks, while the stern was being smashed by the pounding of the surf.

42The soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners to prevent them from escaping. 43But the Roman officer was determined to bring Paul safely through, so he foiled their attempts. He commanded the prisoners and crew who could swim to jump overboard and swim ashore. # 27:43 As translated from the Aramaic. 44The rest all managed to survive by clinging to planks and broken pieces of the ship, so that everyone scrambled to the shore uninjured.

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Acts 27: TPT

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Acts 27

Paul Sails for Rome

1It was decided that we would sail for Italy. An army officer named Julius, who served in the emperor’s special army, was put in charge of guarding Paul and some other prisoners on the trip. 2We got on a ship from the city of Adramyttium that was ready to sail to different places in Asia. Aristarchus, a man from Thessalonica in Macedonia, went with us.

3The next day we came to the city of Sidon. Julius was very good to Paul and gave him freedom to go visit his friends there, who gave him whatever he needed. 4We left that city and sailed close to the island of Cyprus because the wind was blowing against us. 5We went across the sea by Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we came to the city of Myra in Lycia. 6There the army officer found a ship from the city of Alexandria that was going to Italy. So he put us on it.

7We sailed slowly for many days. It was hard for us to reach the city of Cnidus because the wind was blowing against us. We could not go any farther that way, so we sailed by the south side of the island of Crete near Salmone. 8We sailed along the coast, but the sailing was hard. Then we came to a place called Safe Harbors, near the city of Lasea.

9We had lost much time, and it was now dangerous to sail, because it was already after the Jewish day of fasting.#27:9 day of fasting The Day of Atonement, an important Jewish holy day in the fall of the year. This was the time of year that bad storms happened on the sea. So Paul warned them, 10“Men, I can see that there will be a lot of trouble on this trip. The ship, everything in it, and even our lives may be lost!” 11But the captain and the owner of the ship did not agree with Paul. So the army officer accepted what they said instead of believing Paul. 12Also, that harbor was not a good place for the ship to stay for the winter, so most of the men decided that we should leave there. They hoped we could reach Phoenix, where the ship could stay for the winter. Phoenix was a city on the island of Crete. It had a harbor that faced southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13Then a good wind began to blow from the south. The men on the ship thought, “This is the wind we wanted, and now we have it!” So they pulled up the anchor. We sailed very close to the island of Crete. 14But then a very strong wind called the “Northeaster” came from across the island. 15This wind took the ship and carried it away. The ship could not sail against the wind, so we stopped trying and let the wind blow us.

16We went below a small island named Cauda. With the island protecting us from the wind, we were able to bring in the lifeboat, but it was very hard to do. 17After the men brought the lifeboat in, they tied ropes around the ship to hold it together. The men were afraid that the ship would hit the sandbanks of Syrtis. So they lowered the sail and let the wind carry the ship.

18The next day the storm was blowing against us so hard that the men threw some things out of the ship.#27:18 threw some things … ship The men did this to make the ship lighter so that it would not sink easily. 19A day later they threw out the ship’s equipment. 20For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The storm was very bad. We lost all hope of staying alive—we thought we would die.

21The men did not eat for a long time. Then one day Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, I told you not to leave Crete. You should have listened to me. Then you would not have all this trouble and loss. 22But now I tell you to be happy. None of you will die, but the ship will be lost. 23Last night an angel came to me from God—the God I worship and belong to. 24The angel said, ‘Paul, don’t be afraid! You must stand before Caesar. And God has given you this promise: He will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ 25So men, there is nothing to worry about. I trust God, and I am sure everything will happen just as his angel told me. 26But we will crash on an island.”

27On the fourteenth night we were still being blown around in the Adriatic Sea. The sailors thought we were close to land. 28They threw a rope into the water with a weight on the end of it. They found that the water was 120 feet#27:28 120 feet Literally, “20 fathoms,” about 40 meters. deep. They went a little farther and threw the rope in again. It was 90 feet#27:28 90 feet Literally, “15 fathoms,” about 30 meters. deep. 29The sailors were afraid that we would hit the rocks, so they threw four anchors into the water. Then they prayed for daylight to come. 30Some of the sailors wanted to leave the ship, and they lowered the lifeboat to the water. They wanted the other men to think that they were throwing more anchors from the front of the ship. 31But Paul told the army officer and the other soldiers, “If these men do not stay in the ship, you will lose all hope of survival.” 32So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat fall into the water.

33Just before dawn Paul began persuading all the people to eat something. He said, “For the past two weeks you have been waiting and watching. You have not eaten for 14 days. 34Now I beg you to eat something. You need it to stay alive. None of you will lose even one hair off your heads.” 35After he said this, Paul took some bread and thanked God for it before all of them. He broke off a piece and began eating. 36All the men felt better and started eating too. 37(There were 276 people on the ship.) 38We ate all we wanted. Then we began making the ship lighter by throwing the grain into the sea.

The Ship Is Destroyed

39When daylight came, the sailors saw land, but they did not know what land it was. They saw a bay with a beach and wanted to sail the ship to the beach if they could. 40So they cut the ropes to the anchors and left the anchors in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Then they raised the front sail into the wind and sailed toward the beach. 41But the ship hit a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck there and could not move. Then the big waves began to break the back of the ship to pieces.

42The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so that none of the prisoners could swim away and escape. 43But Julius the army officer wanted to let Paul live. So he did not allow the soldiers to kill the prisoners. He told the people who could swim to jump into the water and swim to land. 44The others used wooden boards or pieces of the ship. And this is how all the people went safely to land.

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