Acts 27-28

21st Century King James Version

27 And when it was determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

² And entering into a ship from Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail along 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 treated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

⁴ And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under the lee of 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 for Italy, and he put us aboard.

⁷ And when we had sailed slowly many days and scarcely had come as far as Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone;

⁸ and, with difficulty passing by it, we came unto a place which is called The Fair Havens, nigh unto the city of Lasea.

⁹ Now after much time had been lost, 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 attended by hurt and much damage, not only to the lading and ship, but also to our lives.”

¹¹ Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, rather than those things which were spoken by Paul.

¹² And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the greater number advised to depart thence also, hoping that by some means they might attain Phoenix, which is a haven of Crete and lieth toward the southwest and northwest, and there to winter.

¹³ And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, casting loose from 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 the lee of a certain island, which is called Clauda, we had much work in securing the boat,

¹⁷ which when they had taken up, they used helps to undergird the ship. And fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they struck sail, and so were driven.

¹⁸ And being exceedingly tossed by a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

¹⁹ and the third day we cast out with our own hands the ship’s tackle.

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 fasting, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, “Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and should not have cast loose from Crete and suffered 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 only.

²³ For there stood by me this night the angel of God, to whom I belong 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 Therefore sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, and that it shall be even as it was told to me.

²⁶ Nonetheless, we must be cast upon a certain island.”

²⁷ But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven up and down in the Adriatic, about midnight the shipmen deemed that we were drawing near to some land.

²⁸ And they took a sounding and found it to be twenty fathoms deep; and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms.

²⁹ Then, fearing lest we should be driven upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

³⁰ And as the shipmen were about to flee from the ship, and had let down the boat into the sea under the pretext that they would cast anchors out of the prow,

³¹ Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these remain 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 as 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 Therefore I pray you to take some meat, for this is for your health; for there shall not a 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 the presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

³⁶ Then they were all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

³⁷ And we were in all on 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 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 ropes, and hoisted up the mainsail into the wind, and made toward shore.

⁴¹ And falling into a place where two currents met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up with the violence of the waves.

⁴² And the soldier’s counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape.

⁴³ But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who 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 all escaped safely to land.

28 And when they had escaped, they then learned that the island was called Malta.

² And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us every one, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

³ And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

⁴ And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hanging from his hand, they said among themselves, “No doubt this man is a murderer whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.”

⁵ And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm.

⁶ Now they were expecting that he should have swollen or suddenly fallen down dead; but after watching a great while and seeing no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

⁷ In the same quarters were the possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously.

⁸ And it came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick with a fever and a bloody flux. Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

⁹ So when this was done, others also on the island who had diseases, came and were healed.

¹⁰ These also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

¹¹ And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered on the isle and whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

¹² And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

¹³ And from thence we followed a circuitous course and came to Rhegium. And a day later the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli.

¹⁴ There we found brethren and were invited to tarry with them seven days; and so we went toward Rome.

¹⁵ And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as the Appii Forum and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶ And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier who kept him.

¹⁷ And it came to pass that after three days Paul called the chief Jews together; and when they had come together, he said unto them, “Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

¹⁸ who, when they had examined me, would have let me go because there was no cause deserving of death in me.

¹⁹ But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar, not that I had anything to accuse my nation of.

²⁰ For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you and to speak with you, because it is for the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

²¹ And they said unto him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren who came show or speak any harm of thee.

²² But we desire to hear from thee what thou thinkest; for concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.

²³ And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets, from morning until evening.

²⁴ And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

²⁵ And when they were unable to agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word: “Well spoke the Holy Ghost through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers,

²⁶ saying, ‘Go unto this people and say, “Hearing, ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing, ye shall see and not perceive.

²⁷ For the heart of this people has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”’

²⁸ “Be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

²⁹ And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had great reasoning among themselves.

³⁰ And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all who came in unto him,

³¹ preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.