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Now much time had been lost, and [a]navigation was dangerous, because even [the time for] the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them, 10 saying, “Men, I sense [after careful thought and observation] that this voyage will certainly be a disaster and with great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 However, the centurion [Julius, ranking officer on board] was persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than by what Paul said. 12 Because the harbor was not well situated for wintering, the majority [of the sailors] decided to put to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

13 So when the south wind blew softly, thinking that they had obtained their goal, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast.

Shipwreck

14 But soon afterward a violent wind, called Euraquilo [a northeaster, a tempestuous windstorm like a typhoon], came rushing down from the island; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not head against the wind [to gain stability], we gave up and [letting her drift] were driven along. 16 We ran under the shelter of a small island [twenty-five miles south of Crete] called Clauda, and with great difficulty we were able to get the ship’s [b]skiff on the deck and secure it. 17 After hoisting the skiff [on board], they used [c]support lines [for frapping] to undergird and brace the ship’s hull; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis [off the north coast of Africa], they let down the [d]sea anchor and lowered the sails and were driven along [backwards with the bow into the wind]. 18 On the next day, as we were being violently tossed about by the storm [and taking on water], they began to jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle (spare lines, blocks, miscellaneous equipment) overboard with their own hands [to further reduce the weight]. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm kept raging about us, from then on all hope of our being saved was [growing worse and worse and] gradually abandoned.

21 After [e]they had gone a long time without food [because of seasickness and stress], Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice and should not have set sail from Crete, and brought on this damage and loss. 22 But even now I urge you to keep up your courage and be in good spirits, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship. 23 For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24 and said, ‘Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I believe God and have complete confidence in Him that it will turn out exactly as I have been told; 26 but we must run [the ship] aground on some island.”

27 The fourteenth night had come and we were drifting and being driven about in the [f]Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were approaching some land. 28 So they took soundings [using a weighted line] and found [the depth to be] twenty fathoms (120 feet); and a little farther on they sounded again and found [the depth to be] fifteen fathoms (90 feet). 29 Then fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern [to slow the ship] and kept wishing for daybreak to come. 30 But as the sailors were trying to escape [secretly] from the ship and had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain on the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes that held the skiff and let it fall and drift away.

33 While they waited for the day to dawn, Paul encouraged them all [and told them] to have some food, saying, “This is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly on watch and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge you to eat some food, for this is for your survival; for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35 Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then all of them were encouraged and their spirits improved, and they also ate some food. 37 All told there were two hundred and seventy-six of us aboard the ship. 38 After they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the [g]wheat [from Egypt] overboard into the sea.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 Sailing in the Mediterranean was dangerous for ancient ships after the second week of September, and virtually impossible after Nov 11, so now there was no hope of reaching Italy before winter.
  2. Acts 27:16 This was a small boat towed behind the ship for transportation to and from shore or as a lifeboat for emergencies. In a violent sea it might collide repeatedly with the ship and cause major damage.
  3. Acts 27:17 These were ropes that were tightly wrapped around (and sometimes under) the hull of an ancient ship to firm and strengthen it in heavy seas.
  4. Acts 27:17 A sea anchor (para-anchor) is a sturdy fabric parachute set at the end of an anchor rode (designed for use with a rope/chain windlass) or other long line and sometimes weighted so it rides deep. A sea anchor is placed off the bow (front) so that the boat’s bow would be held into the wind while drifting or being blown downwind. One danger of this is that the rudder may be damaged and that is what happened later—the rudder was lost (see v 40). A drogue is set off the stern (back) when sailing downwind to slow the boat and provide more control. The sea anchor held the bow into the wind and slowed the drift. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, Third Edition.
  5. Acts 27:21 Lit there was much loss of appetite.
  6. Acts 27:27 The Ionian Sea was then considered part of the Adriatic (Adrian Gulf) which, in ancient times, extended much farther south than today’s Adriatic Sea.
  7. Acts 27:38 Wheat was a major Egyptian export.

Since de considerable hikanos time chronos had passed diaginomai and kai the ho voyage was eimi now ēdē dangerous episphalēs because dia · ho · kai the ho fast nēsteia had already ēdē gone parerchomai by , Paul Paulos advised paraineō · ho them, 10 saying legō, “ Gentlemen anēr, I perceive theōreō that hoti the ho voyage that is about mellō to take place eimi will involve meta injury hybris and kai much polys loss zēmia, not ou only monon of the ho cargo phortion and kai the ho ship ploion, but alla also kai of ho our hēmeis lives psychē.” 11 But de the ho centurion hekatontarchēs was peithō more mallon convinced by peithō the ho captain kybernētēs and kai the ho ship’ s nauklēros owner than ē by hypo what ho Paul Paulos was saying legō. 12 And de since the ho harbor limēn was hyparchō unsuitable aneuthetos to pros winter paracheimasia in , the ho majority polys made tithēmi a decision boulē to put anagō out to sea from ekeithen there , if ei somehow pōs they might be able dynamai to reach katantaō Phoenix Phoinix, a harbor limēn of ho Crete Krētē, facing blepō both southwest kata lips and kai northwest kata chōros, and spend the winter paracheimazō there.

13 Now de when the south wind notos blew hypopneō gently , thinking dokeō that they had obtained krateō their ho purpose prothesis, they weighed airō anchor and sailed paralegomai along · ho Crete Krētē, close to the shore asson. 14 But de soon meta ou a violent typhōnikos wind anemos, called kaleō the northeaster eurakylōn, rushed ballō down kata from Crete autos. · ho 15 And de when the ho ship ploion was caught synarpazō by it and kai could dynamai not head antophthalmeō into the ho wind anemos, we gave epididōmi way and allowed pherō ourselves to be driven along . 16 · de Running hypotrechō under the lee of a tis small island nēsion called kaleō Cauda Kauda, we were able ischuō with difficulty molis to get ginomai the ho dinghy skaphē under control perikratēs. 17 After hoisting airō it hos up airō, they passed chraomai cables boētheia under the ho ship ploion to hold hypozōnnymi it together . Then te, fearing phobeomai that they would run aground ekpiptō on eis the ho Syrtis Syrtis, they lowered chalaō the ho sea skeuos anchor , and thus houtōs they let the ship be driven pherō along . 18 · de Since we hēmeis were being pounded cheimazō so violently sphodrōs by the storm , the ho next hexēs day they began to poieō throw cargo ekbolē overboard ; 19 and kai on the ho third tritos day they threw the ho ship’ s ploion tackle skeuē · ho overboard rhiptō with their own hands autocheir. 20 When neither mēte · de sun hēlios nor mēte stars astron appeared epiphainō for epi many polys days hēmera, and te no ou small oligos storm cheimōn continued epikeimai to rage , all pas hope elpis of ho our hēmeis being saved sōzō was periaireō at last loipos abandoned periaireō.

21 Since hyparchō they had hyparchō long polys been hyparchō without asitia food , Paul Paulos stood histēmi up · ho in en their autos midst mesos and said legō, “ Men anēr, you should dei have followed peitharcheō my egō advice and not set anagō sail from apo · ho Crete Krētē and te incurred kerdainō · ho this houtos injury hybris and kai · ho loss zēmia. 22 And kai · ho now nyn I advise paraineō you hymeis to be of good euthumeō courage ; for gar there will be eimi no oudeis loss apobolē of life psychē among ek you hymeis, but only plēn of the ho ship ploion. 23 For gar there stood paristēmi by me egō this houtos · ho night nyx an angel angelos of the ho God theos whose hos I egō am eimi and kai whom hos I serve latreuō, 24 saying legō, ‘ Do not be afraid phobeomai, Paul Paulos; you sy must dei stand paristēmi before Caesar Kaisar; and kai behold idou, God theos has granted charizomai you sy as a gift · ho all pas those ho who sail pleō with meta you sy.’ 25 So dio be of good courage euthumeō, men anēr, for gar I have faith pisteuō in ho God theos that hoti it will be eimi so houtōs, just tropos as kata it hos has been told laleō me egō. 26 But de we hēmeis must dei run ekpiptō aground on eis some tis island nēsos.”

27 And de when hōs it was ginomai the fourteenth tessareskaidekatos night nyx, as we hēmeis were being driven diapherō about in en the ho Adriatic Adrias Sea, about kata midnight mesos ho · ho the ho sailors nautēs suspected hyponoeō that they autos were nearing prosagō land chōra. 28 So kai they took bolizō soundings and found heuriskō twenty eikosi fathoms orgyuia; and de after diistēmi a short brachus distance diistēmi they took soundings bolizō again palin and kai found heuriskō fifteen dekapente fathoms orgyuia. 29 Fearing phobeomai that we might run aground ekpiptō on kata the rocky trachus coast topos, they dropped rhiptō four tessares anchors ankyra from ek the stern prymna and prayed euchomai for day hēmera to come ginomai. 30 But de when the ho sailors nautēs tried zēteō to escape pheugō from ek the ho ship ploion and kai had lowered chalaō the ho dinghy skaphē into eis the ho sea thalassa pretending prophasis they intended mellō to let down ekteinō anchors ankyra from ek the bow prōra, 31 Paul Paulos said legō · ho to the ho centurion hekatontarchēs and kai the ho soldiers stratiōtēs, “ If ean these men houtos do not remain menō in en the ho ship ploion, you hymeis cannot ou be saved sōzō.” 32 Then tote the ho soldiers stratiōtēs cut apokoptō the ho ropes schoinion from the ho dinghy skaphē and kai let eaō it autos drift ekpiptō away .

33 As achri · de day hēmera was about mellō to dawn ginomai, Paul Paulos urged parakaleō · ho them all hapas to take metalambanō some food trophē, saying legō, “ Today sēmeron is the fourteenth tessareskaidekatos day hēmera that you have continued diateleō in suspense prosdokaō and been without food asitos, having taken proslambanō nothing mēdeis. 34 Therefore dio I urge parakaleō you hymeis to take metalambanō some food trophē; for gar this houtos is hyparchō for pros · ho your hymeteros survival sōtēria, for gar not oudeis a hair thrix will perish apollymi from apo the ho head kephalē of any of you hymeis.” 35 And de when he had said legō these houtos things , he took lambanō bread artos, and kai giving eucharisteō thanks to ho God theos before enōpion them all pas, · kai he broke klaō it and began archō to eat esthiō. 36 So de everyone pas was ginomai encouraged euthumos and kai they themselves autos took proslambanō food trophē. 37 We were eimi · de in · ho all pas two hundred diakosioi seventy-six hebdomēkonta persons psychē on en the ho ship ploion. 38 And de when they had eaten trophē enough korennymi, they lightened kouphizō the ho ship ploion, throwing ekballō the ho wheat sitos out into eis the ho sea thalassa.

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