保罗前往罗马

27 他们决定让我们坐船去意大利,于是将保罗和其他囚犯都交给一位皇家兵团的百夫长犹流看管。 有一艘亚大米田的船准备沿着亚细亚海岸航行。我们上船启航,同船的还有帖撒罗尼迦的马其顿人亚里达古。 第二天,船停泊在西顿港,犹流宽待保罗,准他探望当地的朋友,接受他们的照应。

我们从那里启航后,由于遇到逆风,便沿着塞浦路斯的背风岸前行, 经过基利迦和旁非利亚附近的海域,来到吕迦的每拉。 百夫长在那里找到一艘从亚历山大驶往意大利的船,吩咐我们换搭那艘船。

一连多日船速十分缓慢,好不容易才驶近革尼土。因为强风船无法前行,只好沿着克里特背风岸航行,经过撒摩尼角。 船沿着海岸行进,几经艰难才到达拉西亚城附近的佳澳。

我们耽误了不少日子,禁食的节期[a]已过,航行很危险,保罗劝告众人说: 10 “各位,照我看来,如果我们继续航行,不只会损失货物和船只,甚至连我们的性命也难保。” 11 但那百夫长只相信船主和舵手的话,不接受保罗的劝告。 12 由于佳澳港不适宜过冬,大部分人赞成启航,以为或许可以赶到菲尼基过冬。菲尼基是克里特的一个港口,一面向西南,一面向西北。

惊涛骇浪

13 那时,南风徐徐吹来,他们以为可以按计划继续航行,于是起锚沿着克里特行进。 14 可是出发不久,便遇到从岛上刮来的猛烈的东北风[b] 15 船被刮得失去控制,我们只好任船随风漂流。 16 船沿着一个叫高达的小岛的背风面前进,大家好不容易才控制住救生船。 17 水手把救生船拉上甲板后,又用绳索加固船身。因为怕船会在赛耳底搁浅,于是收起船帆,任船漂流。 18 第二天,风浪依然猛烈,他们开始把货物抛进海里。 19 第三天,他们又亲手把船上的用具也抛掉了。 20 一连好几天都看不到太阳、星辰,风浪肆虐,我们完全放弃了得救的指望。

保罗安慰众人

21 这时大家已经多日没有进食,保罗站在他们当中说:“各位当初如果肯听我劝,不离开克里特,就不会遭受这些损失了。 22 现在我劝大家放心,你们无人会丧命,只是这艘船保不住了。 23 因为昨天晚上,我所归属、所事奉的上帝差遣天使站在我身旁, 24 对我说,‘保罗,不用怕,你一定会站在凯撒面前,上帝也会保全所有和你同船的人。’ 25 所以请各位放心,我深信上帝所说的话必然会成就。 26 只是我们一定会在某个岛上搁浅。”

27 第十四天的晚上,我们在亚得里亚海漂来漂去。到了午夜时分,水手都觉得离陆地不远了, 28 就探测水深,结果约三十六米深,再往前一点,只有二十七米左右。 29 他们怕会触礁,就从船尾抛下四个锚,暂停前进,期待天亮。 30 水手们想要弃船逃生,假装要从船头抛锚,却偷偷地把救生船放到海里。 31 保罗对百夫长和士兵们说:“除非他们留下来,否则你们都活不了!” 32 士兵听了,就砍断绳索,让救生船漂走。

33 到了黎明时分,保罗劝大家吃东西,说:“你们提心吊胆、不思饮食已经十四天了。 34 我劝你们吃点东西,好活下去,你们必定毫发无损。” 35 保罗说完后拿起饼,当众感谢上帝,然后掰开吃。 36 于是大家都振作起来,吃了些东西。 37 船上共有二百七十六人。 38 吃饱了以后,为了要减轻船的重量,他们把麦子抛进海里。

安全登陆

39 天亮的时候,水手发现了一片不认识的陆地,看见一个有沙滩的海湾,便决定尽可能在那里靠岸。 40 于是砍断锚索,把锚丢在海里,松开舵绳,升起前帆,顺着风势驶向那沙滩。 41 可是,遇到两流交汇的水域,就在那里搁了浅,船头卡在那里不能动弹,船尾被大浪撞裂了。

42 士兵们想把囚犯全杀掉,怕有人乘机游泳逃走。 43 但百夫长为了救保罗,不准他们轻举妄动,下令会游泳的先跳到海里游上岸。 44 其余的人利用木板和船体的碎片游上岸。结果,全船的人都安全上岸了。

Footnotes

  1. 27:9 指犹太人的赎罪日,约在阳历九月、十月间(参见利未记23:27)。
  2. 27:14 猛烈的东北风”希腊文是“友拉革罗飓风”。

27 And when it was decided that we set sail to Italy, they were handing over both Rav Sha’ul and some other prisoners to a centurion, Julius by name, of the Imperial Cohort.

And having embarked in an oniyah of Adramyttium about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we set sail, Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

The next day, we put in at a harbor in Tzidon; and Julius treated Rav Sha’ul with kindness, permitting him to be cared for by his chaverim.

And from there, having put out to sea, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Then having sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came down to Myra of Lycia.

And there the centurion found an Alexandrian oniyah sailing to Italy and put us on board.

But for many yamim we sailed slowly and with difficulty along the coast of Cnidus, and as the wind was not permitting us to go vaiter (farther), we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.

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

And since considerable time had been lost and it was already unsafe for a voyage, because Yom Kippur had already come and gone; therefore, Rav Sha’ul gave them this eitza (suggestion),

10 Saying to them, "Anashim, I see that the voyage will be hardship and much peril, not only of the cargo and the oniyah, but also of our lives."

11 But the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the owner rather than by the dvarim of Rav Sha’ul.

12 But the port being unfavorably situated for spending the winter, the majority decided to set sail from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix to spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.

13 And a gentle south wind began to blow, and they thought they could attain their matarah (objective), so they weighed anchor and they were sailing past Crete, close by the shore.

14 After not much time a violent, typhoon force wind rushed down from Crete, the so called Euraquilo, the Northeaster.

15 And the oniyah, having been caught in it, and not being able to directly face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven.

16 By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able only with difficulty to get the lifeboat secured.

17 After hoisting it up, they were using frapping cables, passing them underneath the oniyah; then, fearing lest on the shallows of Syrtis they might run aground, they lowered the sea anchor, and so they were being driven along.

18 And we were being violently tossed by the storm, so much so that the next day they were throwing the cargo overboard.

19 And on the Yom Shlishi, with their own hands, they threw out the tackle of the oniyah.

20 And neither shemesh (sun) nor kochavim appeared for many yamim and no small tempest assailed us. Lemaskana (finally) all tikvateinu for yeshu’ah was being abandoned.

21 And after having much loss of appetite, then Rav Sha’ul stood up in the midst of them, and said, "Anashim, you should have obeyed me and not put out to sea from Crete and thereby spared yourselves this hardship and this loss.

22 "And now I advise you to have ometz lev (courage), for there will be no loss of life among you, except the oniyah.

23 "For a malach Hashem stood by me during lailah hazeh, of the G-d whom I serve,

24 "Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Sha’ul. It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and, hinei, Hashem has given to you all the ones sailing with you.'

25 "Therefore have lev same’ach, Anashim. For I have emunah in Hashem that it will be exactly as he has told me.

26 "But it is necessary for us to run aground on some island."

27 Now when the fourteenth night had come, while we being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, toward chatzot halailah (midnight), the sailors were suspecting that we were getting close to land.

28 And having taken soundings, they found twenty fathoms and, having sailed a little vaiter (farther), again they took soundings, and they found fifteen fathoms.

29 And fearing lest somehow against the rough places we might run aground, they threw four anchors off the stern, and they were praying for the dawn to break.

30 Now when the sailors sought to flee from the oniyah and to let down the lifeboat into the sea on the pretext of casting out anchors,

31 Rav Sha’ul said to the centurion and to the chaiyalim, "Unless these remain in the oniyah, you cannot be saved."

32 Then the chaiyalim cut away the ropes of the lifeboat, and let it fall away, setting it adrift.

33 Just before boker, Rav Sha’ul was urging everyone to take okhel (food), saying, "Today is the 14th day you have been held in suspense and are continuing without eating, having taken nothing.

34 "Therefore, I encourage you to take okhel, for it is for your deliverance, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads."

35 And having said these things, and having taken lechem, Rav Sha’ul said the HaMotzi before all, and, after the Betzi’at HaLechem, he began to eat.

36 And receiving ometz lev, they all took okhel.

37 Now there were in all two hundred and seventy-six nefashot in the oniyah.

38 And having eaten enough okhel (food), they were lightening the oniyah by throwing the wheat overboard into the sea.

39 And when it became day, they were not recognizing the land, but a certain bay they were noticing, having a shore onto which they were wanting, if possible, to run aground the oniyah.

40 And the anchors they cast off and they left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes of the rudders and raised the sail to the wind and were steering toward the shore.

41 But having fallen into a channel, a place between two seas, they ran the oniyah aground, and, while the bow had stuck and remained immovable, the stern was being destroyed by the force of the waves.

42 Now the kesher (plan, plot) of the chaiyalim was that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone, having swum away, should escape.

43 But the centurion, desiring to save Rav Sha’ul, kept them from carrying out the kesher, and he ordered the ones able to swim to throw themselves overboard first and to make for the shore.

44 As for the rest, some were on planks, others on pieces from the oniyah. And so everyone was brought safely onto the land.

Paul Sails for Rome

27 When it was decided that we(A) would sail for Italy,(B) Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.(C) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,(D) and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,(E) a Macedonian(F) from Thessalonica,(G) was with us.

The next day we landed at Sidon;(H) and Julius, in kindness to Paul,(I) allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.(J) From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.(K) When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship(N) sailing for Italy(O) and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,(P) we sailed to the lee of Crete,(Q) opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a](R) So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”(S) 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,(T) facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,(U) called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat(V) secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground(W) on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.(X) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice(Y) not to sail from Crete;(Z) then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage,(AA) because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel(AB) of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve(AC) stood beside me(AD) 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;(AE) and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’(AF) 25 So keep up your courage,(AG) men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.(AH) 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground(AI) on some island.”(AJ)

The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[c] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[d] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[e] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat(AK) down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”(AL) 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”(AM) 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it(AN) and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged(AO) and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.(AP)

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,(AQ) where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors,(AR) they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.(AS)

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life(AT) and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 That is, Yom Kippur
  2. Acts 27:17 Or the sails
  3. Acts 27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy.
  4. Acts 27:28 Or about 37 meters
  5. Acts 27:28 Or about 27 meters