Old/New Testament

27 It was planned that we would go by boat to Italy. An officer named Julius was put in charge of Paul and some other prisoners. Julius was an army captain in the Augustan group.

² We got on a boat which was from the city of Adramyttium. This boat was going along the coast of Asia Minor. And so we went out to sea. A man named Aristarchus from the city of Thessalonica in Macedonia came with us also.

³ The next day we stopped at the city of Sidon. Julius was kind to Paul. He allowed him to go to see his friends so they could care for him.

⁴ Then we started out to sea again. We went near the island of Cyprus, because the wind was blowing against us.

⁵ We crossed the sea by the countries of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we reached the city of Myra in Lycia.

⁶ There the officer found a boat from the city of Alexandria going to the country of Italy. So he put us on that boat.

⁷ We went slowly for many days. And after much trouble, we reached the city of Cnidus. The wind was blowing hard against us. We could not go on. So we went around the south side of the island of Crete, past Cape Salmone.

⁸ We had trouble going along near the coast, but at last we came to a place called Fair Havens. This was near the town of Lasea.

⁹ It was now so late in the year that it was a bad time to go by boat. So Paul spoke to them about it.

¹⁰ He said, `Sirs, I see that if we go on by boat, we will have much trouble. Something bad will happen to the things on the boat and to the boat itself, and also to us.'

¹¹ The officer did not listen to what Paul said. But he listened to the captain and the owner of the boat.

¹² This place was not a good place for the boat to stay through the winter months of the year. So most of the men wanted to go on. They thought they might be able to reach Phoenicia and stay there for the winter. Phoenicia is a good place on the island of Crete. Boats can stay there. The winds do not blow against them.

¹³ When the south wind began to blow a little, they thought they had what they wanted. So they started off. They went along very close to the land of Crete.

¹⁴ But soon a very strong north-east wind blew from Crete.

¹⁵ The wind blew against the boat and it could not go into the wind. So they let the boat go where the wind took it.

¹⁶ We came close to a small island called Clauda. There we had a hard time to pull up the small boat.

¹⁷ However, at last they got it up. Then they put ropes around the boat to make it strong. They were also afraid they would get stuck in a bad place in the sand. So they took down the big sail cloth that was up to catch the wind. Then they let the boat go where the wind took it.

¹⁸ The next day the storm was very bad. They threw out the things that were in the boat.

¹⁹ And the third day they threw off the things they used on the boat, with their own hands.

²⁰ For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The bad storm kept on. We did not think that we would be saved.

²¹ The men of the boat had not eaten anything for a long time. Then Paul stood up and said, `Sirs, you should have listened to me and not left Crete. But you did leave. So you have had much trouble and have lost all these things.

²² Now I tell you to be glad. Not one of you will die. Only the boat will break and be lost.

²³ I belong to God and worship him. Last night his angel stood before me.

²⁴ He said, "Paul, do not be afraid. You must stand before Caesar. And see, God has given you the lives of all these men who are travelling with you."

²⁵ So be glad, sirs. I believe God. It will be just the way he told me.

²⁶ However, we will have to go on an island.'