Acts 27
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.
Currently Selected:
Acts 27: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Acts 27
27
Acts 27
1¶ But when it was determined that we should sail unto Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustus company.
2And entering into the ship, Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
3And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
4And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus because the winds were contrary.
5And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy, and he put us in it.
7And when we had sailed slowly many days and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not allowing us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone,
8and, passing it with difficulty, came unto a place which is called The Fair Havens, near which 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,
10saying, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12¶ And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, many were in agreement to depart from there also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice and winter there, which is a port of Crete and lies toward Africa and the west.
13And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, raising sails, they sailed close by Crete.
14But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. {devastating cold north wind from Europe}
15And when the ship was caught up by it and could not resist against the wind, the ship was taken by the wind and drifted.
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 fall into Syrtis, {or the sandbanks} struck sail and so were driven.
18And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19and the third day with our own hands we cast off the dead works 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 lost.
21¶ Then after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me and not have loosed from Crete to have avoided this harm and loss.
22And now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any person’s life among you, but only of the ship.
23For the angel of God stood by me this night, whose I am and whom I serve,
24saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar; and, behold, God has given thee all those that sail with thee.
25Therefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26However we must be cast upon a certain island.
27And when the fourteenth night was come as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic sea, 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 fall 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 the boat into the sea, under 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 ropes of the boat and let her fall off.
33And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have waited and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34Therefore I pray you to take some food, for this is for your salvation and health, for there shall not one hair fall from the head of any of you.
35And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36Then they were all of good cheer, and they also took some food.
37And we were in all, in the ship, two hundred and seventy-six souls.
38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and cast out the grain into the sea.
39And when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they discovered a certain gulf with a shore, into which they decided, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea and loosed the rudder bands and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind and made toward shore.
41But falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast and remained unmovable, 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, desiring to save Paul, frustrated this counsel and commanded that those who 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 that they were all saved by making it to land.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International