| Chapter 27
|
| 1 | And when it
was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain
other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. |
| 2 | And entering into a ship of
Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one
Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. |
| 3 | And the next day we touched at Sidon.
And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his
friends to refresh himself. |
| 4 |
And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the
winds were contrary. |
| 5 |
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra,
a city of Lycia. |
| 6 | And
there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put
us therein. |
| 7 | And when we
had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind
not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; |
| 8 | And, hardly passing it, came unto a
place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of
Lasea. |
| 9 | Now when much
time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now
already past, Paul admonished them, |
|
10 | And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be
with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our
lives. |
| 11 | Nevertheless
the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those
things which were spoken by Paul. |
|
12 | And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more
part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to
Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the
south west and north west. |
| 13
| And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained
their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. |
| 14 | But not long after there arose against
it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. |
| 15 | And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up
into the wind, we let her drive. |
|
16 | And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we
had much work to come by the boat: |
|
17 | Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the
ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and
so were driven. |
| 18 | And
we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the
ship; |
| 19 | And the third
day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. |
| 20 | And when neither sun nor stars in many
days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved
was then taken away. |
| 21 |
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said,
Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to
have gained this harm and loss. |
|
22 | And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no
loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. |
|
23 | For there stood by me this night the angel of
God, whose I am, and whom I serve, |
|
24 | Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and,
lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. |
| 25 | Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for
I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. |
| 26 | Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain
island. |
| 27 | But when the
fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about
midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; |
| 28 | And sounded, and found it twenty
fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found
it fifteen fathoms. |
| 29 |
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out
of the stern, and wished for the day. |
| 30 | And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship,
when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would
have cast anchors out of the foreship, |
| 31 | Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except
these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. |
| 32 | Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and
let her fall off. |
| 33 | And
while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This
day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having
taken nothing. |
| 34 |
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there
shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. |
|
35 | And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and
gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began
to eat. |
| 36 | Then were
they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. |
| 37 | And we were in all in the ship two
hundred threescore and sixteen souls. |
| 38 | And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the
ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. |
| 39 | And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they
discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it
were possible, to thrust in the ship. |
| 40 | And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed
themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the
mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. |
| 41 | And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran
the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the
hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. |
| 42 | And the soldiers' counsel was to kill
the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. |
| 43 | But the centurion, willing to save
Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim
should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: |
| 44 | And the rest, some on boards, and some
on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all
safe to land. |
