Acts 27:13-28:6

English Standard Version

The Storm at Sea

¹³ Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. ¹⁴ But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, ^(A)struck down from the land. ¹⁵ And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,^[a] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. ¹⁷ After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would ^(B)run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,^[b] and thus they were driven along. ¹⁸ Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day ^(C)to jettison the cargo. ¹⁹ And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.

²¹ Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, ^(D)you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this ^(E)injury and loss. ²² Yet now I urge you to ^(F)take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For this very night ^(G)there ^(H)stood before me ^(I)an angel of the God ^(J)to whom I belong and ^(K)whom I worship, ²⁴ and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; ^(L)you must stand before Caesar. And behold, ^(M)God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. ²⁶ But ^(N)we must ^(O)run aground on some island.”

²⁷ When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. ²⁸ So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.^[c] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.^{[d] 29} And fearing that we might ^(P)run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰ And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered ^(Q)the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 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 ship's boat and let it go.

³³ As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. ³⁴ Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,^[e] for ^(R)not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” ³⁵ And when he had said these things, he took bread, and ^(S)giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ Then they all ^(T)were encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ (We were in all 276^{[f] (U)}persons in the ship.) ³⁸ And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, ^(V)throwing out the wheat into the sea.

The Shipwreck

³⁹ Now when it was day, ^(W)they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. ⁴⁰ So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. ⁴¹ But striking a reef,^{[g] (X)}they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. ^42 (Y)The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. ⁴³ But the centurion, ^(Z)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, ⁴⁴ and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that ^(AA)all were brought safely to land.

Paul on Malta

28 After we were brought safely through, ^(AB)we then learned that ^(AC)the island was called Malta. ^2 (AD)The native people^[h] showed us unusual ^(AE)kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. ³ When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. ⁴ When ^(AF)the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ^(AG)“No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, ^(AH)Justice^[i] has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ He, however, ^(AI)shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, ^(AJ)they changed their minds and ^(AK)said that he was a god.