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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.

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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].

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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