Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Acts 27:9-38
Close NASB

Acts 27:9-38
New American Standard Bible

9 When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even (A)the [a]fast was already over, Paul started admonishing them, 10 saying to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with (B)damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the (C)pilot and the [b]captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12 The harbor was not suitable for wintering, so the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of (D)Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

13 [c]When a moderate south wind came up, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began (E)sailing along (F)Crete, closer to shore.

Shipwreck

14 But before very long a violent wind, called [d]Euraquilo, (G)rushed down from [e]the land; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not head up into the wind, we gave up and let ourselves be driven by the wind. 16 Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were able to get the ship’s [f]boat under control only with difficulty. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used [g]supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might (H)run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the [h]sea anchor and let themselves be driven along in this way. 18 The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, [i]they began to (I)jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.

21 [j]When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, “[k](J)Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from (K)Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this (L)damage and loss. 22 And yet now I urge you to (M)keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night (N)an angel of the God to whom I belong, (O)whom I also serve, (P)came to me, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; (Q)you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you (R)all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 Therefore, (S)keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that [l]it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must (T)run aground on a certain (U)island.”

27 But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that [m]they were approaching some land. 28 And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might (V)run aground somewhere on the [n]rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and [o]prayed for daybreak. 30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down (W)the ship’s boat into the sea, on the pretense 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 yourselves cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the (X)ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.

33 Until the day was about to dawn, Paul kept encouraging them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken in nothing. 34 Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your survival, for (Y)not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35 Having said this, he took bread and (Z)gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and he broke it and began to eat. 36 All (AA)of them [p]were encouraged and they themselves also took food. 37 We were 276 [q](AB)people on the ship in all. 38 When they had eaten enough, they began lightening the ship by (AC)throwing the wheat out into the sea.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 I.e., Day of Atonement in September or October, which was a dangerous time of year for navigation
  2. Acts 27:11 Or owner
  3. Acts 27:13 Lit a south wind having gently blown
  4. Acts 27:14 I.e., a northeaster
  5. Acts 27:14 Lit it
  6. Acts 27:16 Or skiff: a small boat in tow for emergencies, transportation to and from shore, etc.
  7. Acts 27:17 Lit helps
  8. Acts 27:17 Lit implement, an object designed to stabilize a boat from the stern against the wind.
  9. Acts 27:18 Lit they were doing a throwing out
  10. Acts 27:21 Lit there being much lack of appetite
  11. Acts 27:21 Lit O men
  12. Acts 27:25 Lit it will be
  13. Acts 27:27 Lit some land was approaching them
  14. Acts 27:29 Lit rough places
  15. Acts 27:29 Or wished for
  16. Acts 27:36 Lit became cheerful
  17. Acts 27:37 Lit souls
Close NLT

Acts 27:9-38
New Living Translation

9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall,[a] and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.

10 “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” 11 But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. 12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.

The Storm at Sea

13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. 15 The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.

16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda,[b] where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. 17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.

18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. 19 The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. 20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

The Shipwreck

27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria,[c] the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep.[d] 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.

30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for two weeks,” he said. 34 “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.” 35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat— 37 all 276 of us who were on board. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 27:9 Greek because the fast was now already gone by. This fast was associated with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which occurred in late September or early October.
  2. 27:16 Some manuscripts read Clauda.
  3. 27:27 The Sea of Adria includes the central portion of the Mediterranean.
  4. 27:28 Greek 20 fathoms . . . 15 fathoms [37 meters . . . 27 meters].
Next
Acts 26
Acts 28
Next
dropdown
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.