1When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, the authorities1546 delivered Paul and other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial regiment. 2Boarding a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to various places on the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, traveled with us. 3The next day, we landed at Sidon. Julius treated Paul with kindness and gave him permission to visit his friends and to be cared for. 4Putting to sea from there, we sailed under [the shelter of] Cyprus because the winds were contrary. 5After sailing across the open sea along [the coasts of] Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived in Myra,1547 a city of Lycia. 6There, the centurion found a ship sailing from Alexandria to Italy, and he put us on board. 7After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived with difficulty near Cnidus. The wind did not allow us to go further [on course], and we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone. 8We continued along the coast and arrived at a place called ‘Fair Havens,’ near the city of Lasea.
9A great deal of time had been lost and the voyage was now dangerous because the season1548 was already past. Paul gave them this warning: 10”Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will result in injuries and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also of our lives!” 11However, the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul was saying. 12Since the haven was not suitable to spend the winter, the majority was in favor of continuing, doing their utmost to reach Phoenix and winter there. This is a port of Crete which faces both the northeast and the southeast.
13When the south wind began to blow softly, they thought that their goal was within reach. Having lifted the anchor, they sailed along [the coast of] Crete, close to shore. 14But before long, a violent wind called ‘the northeastern1549‘ rushed down from the island!1550 15The ship was caught and could not face the wind. We had to yield to the wind, and the ship was driven along. 16Sailing under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the lifeboat. 17After the crew had hoisted it up, they used it to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship drift along. 18We were so battered by the storm that the next day, the men began to throw things overboard. 19On the third day, we threw out the ship’s tackle with our own hands. 20When neither sun nor stars had shone on us for many days, and with a major storm pressing on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.
21As the men had been for a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete; then you would have avoided this injury and loss. 22Now I encourage you to keep your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For last night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and to whom I offer divine service1551 stood by me. 24He said: ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you [the life of] all those who sail with you.’ 25Therefore, sirs, be of good cheer! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26However, we must run aground on some island.”
27On the fourteenth night, at about midnight, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, the sailors surmised that they were approaching some land. 28They measured the depth of water and found twenty fathoms.1552 A little while later, they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms.1553 29Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let down four anchors from the stern, hoping to hold steady until daylight. 30Trying to escape from the ship, the sailors lowered the lifeboat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow. 31Paul then said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved!” 32So the soldiers cut away the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall off.
33As the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, taking nothing. 34Now I urge you to take some food! This is for your safety, and not a hair will fall from any of your heads.” 35After saying this and having taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36At this, they all cheered up and also took food. 37In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39When day came, they did not recognize the land but noticed a cove with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40Casting 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. 41But coming to a place with cross-currents,1554 they beached the vessel. The front of the ship struck and remained immovable while the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.
42The soldiers’ advice was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He gave orders that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first and go to shore. 44The rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to the land.
In Malta—Paul bitten by a snake
- Greek “they”
- This city would later become the see of St. Nicholas.
- Literally “fast,” i.e. the Day of Atonement in September or October, which was a dangerous time of year for navigation. Another less likely translation is, “because they were already being rationed with food.”
- Or literally, “Euroclydon”
- Greek “it”
- Greek latreu,w
- 20 fathoms = 120 feet = 36.6 meters
- 15 fathoms = 90 feet = 27.4 meters
- That is, a sand bar
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
