Acts 27:27-44

New Testament for Everyone

²⁷ On the fourteenth night we were being carried across the sea of Adria when, around the middle of the night, the sailors reckoned that we were getting near some land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found twenty fathoms; then, a little bit further, they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹ They were afraid that we might crash into a rocky place, so they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰ The sailors wanted to escape from the ship, and let down the boat into the sea under the pretense of going to put out anchors from the bow. ³¹ But Paul spoke to the centurion and the soldiers.

“If these men don’t stay in the ship,” he said, “there is no chance of safety.”

³² Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat, and let it fall away.

Shipwreck

³³ When it was nearly daytime, Paul urged all of them to eat something.

“It’s now all of fourteen days,” he said, “that you’ve been hanging on without food, not eating a thing. ³⁴ So let me encourage you to have something to eat. This will help you get rescued. No hair of any of your heads will be lost.”

³⁵ So saying, he took some bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke the bread and ate it. ³⁶ Then all of them cheered up and took some food. ³⁷ The whole company on board was two hundred and seventy-six. ³⁸ When we had eaten enough food, they threw the grain overboard to lighten the ship.

³⁹ When day came, they didn’t recognize the land. It appeared to have a bay with a sandy shore, and that was where they hoped, if possible, to beach the ship. ⁴⁰ They let the anchors drop away into the sea, and at the same time slackened the ropes on the rudders, hoisted the foresail, and headed for the beach. ⁴¹ But they crashed into a reef and ran the ship aground. The prow stuck fast and wouldn’t budge, while the strong waves were smashing the stern to bits. ⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that none of them would swim away and escape. ⁴³ But the centurion wanted to rescue Paul, and refused permission for them to carry out their intention. Instead, he ordered all who were able to swim to leap overboard first and head for land, ⁴⁴ while the rest were to come after, some on boards and some on bits and pieces of the ship. And so everyone ended up safely on land.