The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 27 -

Now when it was concluded, that we should sayle into Italie, they deliuered both Paul, and certaine other prisoners vnto a Centurion named Iulius, of the band of Augustus.

And we entred into a ship of Adramyttium purposing to saile by the coastes of Asia, and launched foorth, and had Aristarchus of Macedonia, a Thessalonian, with vs.

And the next day we arriued at Sidon: and Iulius courteously entreated Paul, and gaue him libertie to go vnto his friends, that they might refresh him.

And from thence we launched, and sayled hard by Cyprus, because ye windes were contrarie.

Then sayled we ouer the sea by Cilicia, and Pamphilia, and came to Myra, a citie in Lycia.

And there the Centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sayling into Italie, and put vs therein.

And when we had sayled slowly many dayes, and scarce were come against Gnidum, because the winde suffered vs not, we sailed hard by Candie, neere to Salmone,

And with much adoe sayled beyond it, and came vnto a certaine place called the Faire hauens, neere vnto the which was the citie Lasea.

So when much time was spent, and sayling was now ieopardous, because also the Fast was nowe passed, Paul exhorted them,

And sayde vnto them, Syrs, I see that this voiage will be with hurt and much damage, not of the lading and ship onely, but also of our liues.

Neuertheles the Centurion beleeued rather the gouernour and the master of the ship, then those things which were spoken of Paul.

And because the hauen was not commodious to winter in, many tooke counsell to depart thence, if by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice, there to winter, which is an hauen of Candie, and lyeth toward the Southwest and by West, and Northwest and by West.

The Storm at Sea

(Jonah 1:4–10)

And when the Southerne winde blew softly, they supposing to atteine their purpose, loosed neerer, and sailed by Candie.

But anon after, there arose by it a stormy winde called Euroclydon.

And when the ship was caught, and could not resist the winde, we let her goe, and were caried away.

And we ran vnder a litle Yle named Clauda, and had much a doe to get the boat.

Which they tooke vp and vsed all helpe, vndergirding the ship, fearing least they should haue fallen into Syrtes, and they strake saile, and so were caried.

The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship.

And the third day we cast out with our owne hands the tackling of the ship.

And when neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away.

But after long abstinece, Paul stood forth in the mids of them, and said, Syrs, ye should haue hearkened to me, and not haue loosed from Candie: so should ye haue gained this hurt and losse.

But now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shalbe no losse of any mans life among you, saue of the ship onely.

For there stood by me this night the Angel of God, whose I am, and whome I serue,

Saying, Feare not, Paul: for thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that sayle with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage: for I beleeue God, that it shall be so as it hath bene tolde me.

Howbeit, we must be cast into a certaine Iland.

The Shipwreck

And when ye fourteenth night was come, as we were caried to and from in the Adriaticall sea about midnight, the shipmen deemed that some countrey approched vnto them,

And sounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a litle further, they sounded againe, and found fifteene fathoms.

Then fearing least they should haue fallen into some rough places, they cast foure ancres out of the sterne, and wished that the day were come.

Nowe as the mariners were about to flee out of the ship, and had let downe the boat into the sea vnder a colour as though they would haue cast ankers out of the foreship,

Paul sayde vnto the Centurion and the souldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye can not be safe.

Then the souldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall away.

And when it began to be day, Paul exhorted them all to take meate, saying, This is the fourteenth day that ye haue taried, and continued fasting, receiuing nothing:

Wherefore I exhort you to take meate: for this is for your safegarde: for there shall not an heare fall from the head of any of you.

And when he had thus spoken, hee tooke bread and gaue thankes to God, in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eate.

Then were they all of good courage, and they also tooke meate.

Nowe we were in the ship in all two hundreth three score and sixteene soules.

And whe they had eaten ynough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

And when it was day, they knewe not the countrey, but they spied a certaine creeke with a banke, into the which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship.

So when they had taken vp the ankers, they committed the ship vnto the sea, and loosed the rudder bonds, and hoised vp the maine saile to the winde, and drewe to the shore.

And when they fell into a place, where two seas met, they thrust in the ship: and the forepart stucke fast, and could not be moued, but the hinderpart was broken with the violence of the waues.

Then the souldiers counsell was to kill the prisoners, least any of them, when he had swomme out, should flee away.

But the Centurion willing to saue Paul, stayed them from this counsell, and commanded that they that coulde swimme, shoulde cast them selues first into the sea, and goe out to land:

And the other, some on boardes, and some on certaine pieces of the ship: and so it came to passe that they came all safe to land.

When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them

and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

(Jonah 1:4–10)

When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.(a)

When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss.

Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

But we must run aground on a certain island.”

The Shipwreck

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.

They took soundings and found twenty fathoms.(b) After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.(c)

Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

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,

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

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.

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.”

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.

Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

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.

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.

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.

The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

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;

and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

Footnotes

(a)27:14 Or, “a northeaster”.

(b)27:28 20 fathoms = 120 feet = 36.6 meters