Sirach 43:1-12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Splendor of the Sun
43 The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,
as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens.(A)
2 The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises
what a marvelous instrument it is, the work of the Most High.(B)
3 At noon it parches the land,
and who can withstand its burning heat?(C)
4 A man tending[a] a furnace works in burning heat,
but three times as hot is the sun scorching the mountains;
when it breathes out fiery vapors
and when it shines forth its rays, it blinds the eyes.(D)
5 Great is the Lord who made it;
at his orders it hurries on its course.(E)
The Splendor of the Moon
6 It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,[b]
governing the times, an everlasting sign.(F)
7 From the moon comes the sign for festal days,
a light that wanes when it completes its course.(G)
8 The new moon, as its name suggests, renews itself;[c]
how marvelous it is in this change,
a beacon to the hosts on high
shining in the vault of the heavens!
The Glory of the Stars and the Rainbow
9 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,
a glittering array in the heights of the Lord.(H)
10 On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed places;
they never relax in their watches.(I)
11 Look at the rainbow and praise him who made it;
it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.(J)
12 It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;
the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.
Acts 27:1-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Paul Sails for Rome
27 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius.(A) 2 Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.(B) 3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for.(C) 4 Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.(D) 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board.(E) 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them,(F) 10 saying, “Men, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 Since the harbor was not suitable for spending the winter, the majority was in favor of putting to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.
The Storm at Sea
13 When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete.[a](G) 15 Since the ship was caught and could not be turned head-on into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. 16 By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda[b] we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. 17 After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and so were driven.(H) 18 We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard,(I) 19 and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss.(J) 22 I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.(K) 23 For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,(L) 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.’(M) 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.(N) 26 But we will have to run aground on some island.”(O)
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Sirach 50:1-24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Simon Son of Onias
50 The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people[a]
was the high priest, Simon son of Onias,
who in his life repaired the house
and in his time fortified the temple.
2 He laid the foundations for the high double walls,
the high retaining walls for the temple enclosure.
3 In his days a water cistern was dug,[b]
a reservoir like the sea in circumference.
4 He considered how to save his people from ruin
and fortified the city against siege.
5 How glorious he was as he gazed from the tent,[c]
as he came out of the house of the curtain,(A)
6 like the morning star among the clouds,
like the full moon at the festal season,[d](B)
7 like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High,
like the rainbow gleaming in splendid clouds,(C)
8 like roses in the days of the spring harvest,
like lilies by springs of water,
like a green shoot on Lebanon on a summer day,(D)
9 like fire and incense in the censer,
like a vessel of hammered gold
studded with all kinds of precious stones,(E)
10 like an olive tree laden with fruit,
and like a cypress towering in the clouds.(F)
11 When he put on his glorious robe
and clothed himself in perfect splendor,
when he went up to the holy altar,
he made the court of the sanctuary glorious.(G)
12 When he received the portions from the hands of the priests,
as he stood by the hearth of the altar
with a garland of brothers around him,
he was like a young cedar on Lebanon
surrounded by the trunks of palm trees.(H)
13 All the sons of Aaron in their splendor
held the Lord’s offering in their hands
before the whole congregation of Israel.
14 Finishing the service at the altars[e]
and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty,
15 he held out his hand for the cup
and poured a drink offering of the blood of the grape;
he poured it out at the foot of the altar,
a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all.(I)
16 Then the sons of Aaron shouted;
they blew their trumpets of hammered metal;
they sounded a mighty fanfare
as a reminder before the Most High.(J)
17 Then all the people together quickly
fell to the ground on their faces
to worship their Lord,
the Almighty, God Most High.
18 Then the singers praised him with their voices
in sweet and full-toned melody.[f](K)
19 And the people of the Lord Most High offered
their prayer before the Merciful One,
until the order of worship of the Lord was ended
and they completed his ritual.
20 Then Simon[g] came down and raised his hands
over the whole congregation of Israelites,
to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips
and to glory in his name,
21 and they bowed down in worship a second time
to receive the blessing from the Most High.(L)
A Benediction
22 And now bless the God of all,
who everywhere works great wonders,
who exalts our days from birth[h]
and deals with us according to his mercy.(M)
23 May he give us[i] gladness of heart,
and may there be peace in our[j] days
in Israel, as in the days of old.
24 May he entrust to us his mercy,
and may he deliver us in our[k] days!
Footnotes
- 50.1 Heb Syr: Gk lacks this line.
- 50.3 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
- 50.5 Heb: Gk in his courses in the temple
- 50.6 Heb: Meaning of Gk uncertain
- 50.14 Other ancient authorities read altar
- 50.18 Other ancient authorities read in sweet melody throughout the house
- 50.20 Gk he
- 50.22 Heb who nurtures humankind from the womb
- 50.23 Other ancient authorities read you
- 50.23 Other ancient authorities read your
- 50.24 Other ancient authorities read his
Acts 27:27-44
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow,(A) 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.
33 Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.”(B) 35 After he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.(C) 36 Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.(D) 37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six[a] persons in the ship.) 38 After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.(E)
The Shipwreck
39 In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach on which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could.(F) 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.(G) 41 But striking a reef,[b] they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves.(H) 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape;(I) 43 but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land(J) 44 and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.(K)
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