Acts 28:1-11

Expanded Bible

Paul on the Island of Malta

28 When we ·were safe on land [reached safety], we learned that the island was called Malta [^C58 miles southwest of Sicily]. ² The ·people who lived there [native people; ^Lbarbarians; ^Ca term referring to non-Greek speakers] were very ·good [kind] to us. Because it was raining and very cold, they made a fire and welcomed all of us. ³ Paul gathered a pile of ·sticks [brushwood] and was putting them on the fire when a ·poisonous snake [viper] came out because of the heat and ·bit [^Lfastened itself to] him on the hand. ⁴ The ·people living on the island [native people; 28:2] saw the ·snake [^Lcreature; animal] hanging from Paul’s hand and said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He ·did not die in [^Lescaped from] the sea, but Justice [^LDikē; ^Cpronounced di-káy); the goddess of justice] ·does not want [has not allowed] him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the ·snake [^Lcreature; animal] off into the fire and ·was not hurt [suffered no harm]. ⁶ ·The people [^LThey] thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing ·bad [^Lunusual] happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, “He is a god!”

⁷ There ·were some fields [or was an estate] around there owned by Publius, ·an important man [or the chief official; governor] on the island. He ·welcomed [received] us into his home and ·was very good to us [provided generous hospitality; treated us as honored guests] for three days. ⁸ Publius’ father was sick in bed with a fever and dysentery [^Ca serious illness that includes cramping and severe diarrhea]. Paul went to him, prayed, and ·put [or laid] his hands on the man and healed him. ⁹ After this, ·all the other [^Lthe rest of the] sick people on the island came to Paul, and he healed them, too. The people on the island gave us many honors. When we were ready to leave, they gave us the ·things [provisions] we needed.

Paul Goes to Rome

After three months we got on a ship from Alexandria [27:6] that had stayed on the island during the winter. On the front of the ship was the sign of the ·twin gods [^CCastor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus; protectors of sailors].