Acts 27:27-28:10
World English Bible
27 But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28 They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms.[a] After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.[b] 29 Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30 As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.
33 While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I beg you to take some food; for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35 When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, then he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39 When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40 Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41 But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.
42 The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.
28 When we had escaped, then they[c] learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.” 5 However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed. 6 But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 8 The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 9 Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured. 10 They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.
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