Paul
Sails For Rome
When
it was decided that we would sail for Italy,
Paul
and some other Prisoners
Were
handed over to a Centurion named Julius,
Who
belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
2
We boarded a ship from Adramyttium
About
to sail for ports along the coast of the Province of Asia,
And
we put out to sea.
Aristarchus,
a Macedonian from Thessalonica,
Was
with us.
3
The next day we landed at Sidon;
And
Julius, in kindness to Paul,
Allowed
him to go to his friends
So
they might provide for his needs.
4
From there we put out to sea again
And
passed to the lee of Cyprus
Because
the winds were against us.
5
When we had sailed across the open sea
Off
the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia,
We
landed at Myra in Lycia.
6
There the Centurion
Found
an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy
And
put us on board.
7
We made slow headway from many days
And
had difficulty arriving off Cnidus.
When
the wind did not allow us to hold our course,
We
sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
8
We moved along he coast with difficulty
And
came to a place called Fair Havens,
Near
the town of Lasea.
9
Much time had been lost,
And
sailing had already become dangerous
Because
by now it was after the Fast.
So
Paul warned them,
10
MEN, I CAN SEE
THAT
OUR VOYAGE IS GOING TO BE DISASTEROUS
AND
BRING GREAT LOSS TO SHIP AND CARGO,
AND
TO OUR OWN LIVES ALSO.'
11
But the Centurion,
Instead
of listening to what Paul said,
Followed
the advice of the Pilot
And
the owner of the ship.
12
Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in,
The
majority decided that we should sail on,
Hoping
to reach Phoenix and winter there.
This
was a harbor in Crete,
Facing
both southwest and northwest.
The
Storm
13
When a gentle south wind began to blow,
They
thought they had obtained what they wanted;
So
they weighed anchor
And
sailed along the shore of Crete.
14
Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,
Called
the 'Northeaster,'
Swept
down form the island.
15
The ship was caught by the Storm
And
could not head into the wind;
So
we gave way to it and were driven along.
16
As we passed to the lee
of
a small island called Cauda,
We
were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.
17
When the men had hoisted it aboard,
They
passed ropes under the ship itself
To
hold it together.
Fearing
that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis,
They
lowered the sea anchor
And
let the ship be driven along.
18
We took such a Violent Battering from the Storm
That
the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.
19
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
the Storm continued Raging,
WE
FINALLY GAVE UP ALL HOPE OF BEING SAVED.
21
After the men had gone a long time without food,
Paul
stood up before them and said:
'MEN,
YOU SHOLD HAVE TAKEN MY ADVICE
NOT
TO SAIL FROM CRETE;
THEN
YOU WOULD HAVE SPARED YORSELVES
THIS
DAMAGE AND LOSS
22
BUT NOW I URGE YU TO KEEP UP YOUR COURAGE,
BECAUSE
NO ONE OF YOU WILL BE LOST;
ONY
THE SHIP WILL BE DESTROYED.
23
LAST NIGHT AN ANGEL OF THE GOD
WHOSE
I AM AND WHO I SERVE
STOOD
BESIDE ME AND SAID,
24
'DO NOT BE AFRAID, PAUL.
YOU
MUST STAND TRIAL BEFORE CAESAR;
AND
GOD HAS GTRACIOUSLY GIVEN YOU THE LIVES
OF
ALL WHO SAIL WITH YOU.'
25
So keep up your Courage, men,
For
I have Faith in God
That
it will happen just as he told me.
26
Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.
The
Shipwreck
27
On the fourteenth night we were still
Being
driven across the Adriatic Sea,
When
about midnight
The
sailors sensed they were approaching land.
28
They took soundings and found that the water
Was
a hundred and twenty feet deep
A
short time later they took soundings again
And
found it was ninety feet deep.
29
Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks,
They
dropped four anchors from the stern
And
prayed for daylight.
30
In an attempt to Escape from the ship,
The
sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea,
Pretending
they were going to lower some anchors
From
the bow.
31
Then Paul said to the Centurion and the soldiers,
'Unless
these men stay with the ship,
YOU
CANNOT BE SAVED.'
32
So the soldiers cut the ropes
That
held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
33
Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat.
'For
the last fourteen day,' he said,
'You
have been in constant suspense
And
have gone without food--
You
haven't eaten any thing.
34
Now I urge yo to take some food.
You
need it to survive.
NOT
ONE OF YOU
WILL
LOSE A SINGLE HAIR FROM HIS HEAD.'
35
AFTER HE SAID THIS,
HE
TOOK SOME BREAD AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD
IN
FRONT OF THEM ALL.
36
They were all encouraged
And
ate some food themselves.
37
Altogether there were 276 of us on board.
38
When they had eaten as much as they wanted,
They
lightened the ship
By
throwing the grain into the sea.
39
When daylight came,
They
did not recognize the land,
But
they saw a bay with a sandy beach,
Where
they decided to run the ship aground
If
they could.
40
Cutting loose the anchors,
They
left them in the sea
And
at the same time united the ropes
That
held the Rudders.
Then
they hoisted the foresail to the wind
And
made for the beach.
41
But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground.
The
bow stuck fast and would not move,
And
the stern was broken to pieces
By
the pounding of the surf.
42
The soldiers planned to Kill the prisoners
To
prevent any of them from swimming away
And
escaping.
43
But the Centurion wanted to spare Paul's life
And
kept them from carrying out their plan.
He
ordered those who could swim
To
jump overboard first and get to land.
44
The rest were to get there on planks
Or
on pieces of the ship.
In
this way everyone reached land in safety.
(Acts
27)
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