The Voyage Begins
Study note
Paul, along with other prisoners, is placed under the care of a centurion named Julius of the Imperial Regiment. They board a ship from Adramyttium and sail along the coast of Asia. At Sidon, Julius shows kindness to Paul by allowing him to visit friends. They sail on the sheltered side of Cyprus due to contrary winds, eventually reaching Myra in Lycia where they transfer to an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy. Difficult sailing brings them slowly to Fair Havens near Lasea on Crete.
1 The plan was set for us to sail to Italy. Paul, along with some other prisoners, was turned over to a Roman officer named Julius from the Imperial Regiment. 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 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was heading along the coast of Asia. We set out to sea, and Aristarchus from Thessalonica in Macedonia joined us. 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 The following day, we docked at Sidon. Julius was kind to Paul and let him visit friends who cared for what he needed. 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 We set sail again. But the winds were against us, so we took the sheltered path along the east side of Cyprus. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 We sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we landed at Myra in Lycia. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 There, the officer found a grain ship from Alexandria. It was heading for Italy. He put us on board. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
7 We made slow progress for many days and barely managed to get near Cnidus. The wind would not cooperate, so we sailed along the sheltered coast of Crete, past Salmone. 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 Fighting the wind the whole way, we finally reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from the city of Lasea. And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
Paul's Warning Ignored
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Much time has been lost and the sailing season is now dangerous, as the Day of Atonement fast has already passed, placing them well into autumn. Paul warns that the voyage will bring disaster and great loss to ship, cargo, and lives. However, the centurion trusts the ship's pilot and owner more than Paul. Since the harbor at Fair Havens is unsuitable for winter, the majority decide to try to reach Phoenix, a better harbor on Crete.
9 By now, much time had been wasted. Sailing had become extremely risky since the Day of Atonement fast was already past. Paul spoke up with a warning: Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 "Men, I can tell this voyage is going to end in disaster. We are going to lose the cargo, wreck the ship, and possibly our lives." 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 But the centurion trusted the captain and the ship's owner more than he trusted Paul. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 Since the harbor was a poor spot to spend the winter, most of the men voted to keep sailing. Their goal was to make it to Phenice, a Cretan harbor that faced southwest and northwest, and stay there for winter. 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.
The Storm at Sea
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A gentle south wind deceives them into thinking their plan will work, but soon a violent northeast wind called Euroclydon seizes the ship. Unable to head into the wind, they are driven helplessly. They barely secure the lifeboat, reinforce the ship with ropes, lower the sea anchor, throw cargo overboard, and on the third day jettison the ship's equipment. For many days neither sun nor stars are visible. All hope of survival is abandoned.
13 A gentle breeze picked up from the south, and the crew thought conditions were perfect. They raised the anchor and began sailing close to the Cretan shoreline. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But it did not last. A vicious northeast wind called Euroclydon came roaring down off the island. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 The wind grabbed the ship, and we could not steer into it. We had no choice but to give up control and let the storm push us wherever it wanted. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 We managed to slip behind a small island called Clauda, where we barely managed to haul in the lifeboat. And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17 Once they got it on board, the crew wrapped ropes under the hull to hold the ship together. Afraid of drifting onto the shallow sandbars, they lowered the sail and let the ship drift. 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 The storm battered us so badly that the next day the crew started throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 By the third day, they were tossing the ship's own equipment over the side with their bare hands. And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 Day after day, there was no sun and no stars -- just the relentless storm. Eventually, we lost all hope of surviving. 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.
Paul's Encouragement and the Angel's Promise
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After the crew has gone a long time without food, Paul stands among them and gently reminds them they should have listened to his warning. But his point is not to condemn -- he urges them to take courage because an angel of the God he serves appeared to him the previous night, assuring him that he must stand trial before Caesar and that God has graciously granted the lives of all aboard. Paul declares his faith that it will happen exactly as he was told, though they must run aground on some island.
21 Nobody had eaten in a long time. Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and stayed in Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss." 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 "But cheer up! Not one of you is going to die. The only thing we will lose is the ship." 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 "Last night, an angel from the God I serve and belong to appeared right beside me." For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 "The angel told me, 'Don't be afraid, Paul. You are going to stand before Caesar -- that is guaranteed. And God has graciously decided to spare the life of every person on this ship.'" Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 "So keep your courage up, men! I trust God completely. Everything will happen exactly as the angel told me." Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 "But we are going to run aground on an island." Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
Approaching Land
Study note
On the fourteenth night, still drifting across the Adriatic Sea, the sailors sense they are nearing land. Depth soundings confirm they are approaching shore. They drop four anchors from the stern and pray for daylight. When some sailors try to abandon ship by lowering the lifeboat under pretense of setting anchors, Paul warns the centurion that everyone must stay with the ship to be saved. The soldiers cut the lifeboat's ropes and let it drift away.
27 It was the fourteenth night of being tossed around on the Adriatic Sea. Around midnight, the sailors sensed they were nearing land. 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 They dropped a weighted line and measured the depth at one hundred twenty feet. A short time later, they measured again -- ninety feet. And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 They were terrified of crashing into rocks in the dark. So they threw four anchors off the back of the ship. They prayed hard for morning to come. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 Some sailors tried to abandon ship. They lowered the lifeboat into the water, pretending they needed to set anchors from the bow. 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 warned the centurion and the soldiers, "If those sailors leave this ship, the rest of you will not survive." Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 So the soldiers slashed the ropes holding the lifeboat, and it dropped into the sea. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
The Shipwreck and Safe Landing
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Just before dawn, Paul urges everyone to eat for their survival, having gone fourteen days without proper food. He takes bread, gives thanks to God before them all, and begins to eat, encouraging the entire company of 276 people. After eating, they lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard. At daylight they spot a bay with a sandy beach and attempt to run the ship aground. The ship strikes a sandbar and begins to break apart. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, but the centurion stops them to save Paul. He orders those who can swim to go first, and the rest cling to planks and debris. Every person reaches shore safely.
33 Just before dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat. "You have been going on fourteen days without food -- you have not eaten a thing," he said. 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 "Please, eat something. You are going to need your strength. And let me promise you this: not a single hair from any of your heads will be lost." 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 After saying that, Paul picked up some bread, thanked God in front of everyone, broke it, and started eating. 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 That lifted everyone's spirits, and they all ate something too. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37 All together, there were two hundred seventy-six people on the ship. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 After everyone had eaten enough, they made the ship lighter by throwing the rest of the grain into the sea. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 When morning finally came, nobody recognized the coastline. But they spotted a bay with a sandy beach and decided to try to run the ship aground there. 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 They cut the anchors loose, untied the ropes holding the rudders in place, raised the front sail to catch the wind, and aimed for the beach. 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 But the ship hit a sandbar where two currents collided and ran hard aground. The bow jammed in tight and would not budge, while the stern started breaking apart under the pounding waves. 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 The soldiers wanted to kill all the prisoners so none could swim to shore and escape. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion wanted to keep Paul alive, so he overruled them. He ordered everyone who could swim to jump in first and head for land. 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 The rest grabbed planks and broken pieces of the ship. And that is how every person made it safely to shore. 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.