Safe at Malta

28 When ^(A)they had been brought safely through, ^(B)then we found out that ^(C)the island was called ^[a]Malta. ^2 (D)The ^[b]natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and ^(E)took us all in because of the rain that had started and because of the cold. ³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out ^[c]because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When ^(F)the ^[d]natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “^(G)Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, ^[e]justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ However, ^[f](H)Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ Now they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and ^(I)began to say that he was a god.