The Shipwreck

39 Now when day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay having a beach, onto which they decided to run the ship ashore if they could. 40 And slipping the anchors, they left them[a] in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes[b] of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the wind that was blowing, they held course for the beach. 41 But falling into a place of crosscurrents,[c] they ran the ship aground. And the bow stuck fast and[d] stayed immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence.[e] 42 Now the plan of the soldiers was that they would kill the prisoners lest any escape by[f] swimming away, 43 but the centurion, because he[g] wanted to save Paul, prevented them from doing what they intended,[h] and gave orders that those who were able to swim should jump in first to get to the land, 44 and then the rest, some of whom floated[i] on planks and some of whom on anything that was from the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to the land.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:40 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  2. Acts 27:40 Or “bands” (referring to the linkage that tied the steering oars together)
  3. Acts 27:41 Or “a reef”; literally “a place of two seas,” an expression of uncertain meaning but most likely a nautical technical term for some adverse sea condition
  4. Acts 27:41 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“stuck fast”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Acts 27:41 Some manuscripts have “the violence of the waves”
  6. Acts 27:42 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“swimming away”) which is understood as means
  7. Acts 27:43 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“wanted”) which is understood as causal
  8. Acts 27:43 Literally “of the intention”
  9. Acts 27:44 The word “floated” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity

39 Now de when hote it was ginomai day hēmera, they did epiginōskō not ou recognize epiginōskō the ho land , but de they noticed katanoeō a tis bay kolpos that had echō a beach aigialos, on eis which hos they planned bouleuō, if ei possible dynamai, to run exōtheō the ho ship ploion ashore . 40 So kai they cut loose periaireō the ho anchors ankyra, left eaō them in eis the ho sea thalassa, and at the same hama time untied aniēmi the ho ropes zeuktēria that held the ho rudders pēdalion. Then kai hoisting epairō the ho foresail artemōn to the ho wind pneō, they made katechō for eis the ho beach aigialos. 41 But de caught peripiptō in eis some topos crosscurrents dithalassos, they ran epikellō the ho ship naus aground ; · kai the ho bow prōra stuck ereidō and remained menō immovable asaleutos, but de the ho stern prymna began to break lyō up by hypo the ho force bia of the ho waves kyma. 42 It was ginomai the plan boulē of the ho · de soldiers stratiōtēs to hina kill apokteinō the ho prisoners desmōtēs, so none mē tis could escape diapheugō by swimming ekkolymbaō away . 43 But de the ho centurion hekatontarchēs, wanting boulomai to spare diasōzō · ho Paul’ s Paulos life, prevented kōlyō them autos from · ho carrying boulēma out their plan ; and te he ordered keleuō those ho who could dynamai swim kolymbaō to throw aporiptō themselves overboard first prōtos and make for epi the ho land , 44 and kai the ho rest loipos, some hos men on epi planks sanis and de others hos on epi pieces tis · ho of apo the ho ship ploion. And kai so houtōs it came ginomai about that all pas escaped diasōzō safely to epi the ho land .

Read full chapter