The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 27 -

Then it was decided to send him by ship to Italy, and that Paul, with the others in custody, should be delivered to a centurion named Julius, of the cohort of Augusta.

After climbing aboard a ship from Adramyttium, we set sail and began to navigate along the ports of Asia, with Aristarchus, the Macedonian from Thessalonica, joining us.

And on the following day, we arrived at Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul humanely, permitted him to go to his friends and to look after himself.

And when we had set sail from there, we navigated below Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

And navigating though the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Lystra, which is in Lycia.

And there the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing to Italy, and he transferred us to it.

And when we had sailed slowly for many days and had barely arrived opposite Cnidus, for the wind was hindering us, we sailed to Crete, near Salmone.

And barely being able to sail past it, we arrived at a certain place, which is called Good Shelter, next to which was the city of Lasea.

Then, after much time had passed, and since sailing would no longer be prudent because the Fast Day had now passed, Paul consoled them,

and he said to them: “Men, I perceive that the voyage is now in danger of injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our own lives.”(a)

But the centurion put more trust in the captain and the navigator of the ship, than in the things being said by Paul.

And since it was not a fitting port in which to winter, the majority opinion was to sail from there, so that somehow they might be able to arrive at Phoenicia, in order to winter there, at a port of Crete, which looks out toward the southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

(Jonah 1:4–10)

And since the south wind was blowing gently, they thought that they might reach their goal. And after they had set out from Asson, they weighed anchor at Crete.

But not long afterward, a violent wind came against them, which is called the Northeast Wind.

And once the ship had been caught in it and was not able to strive against the wind, giving over the ship to the winds, we were driven along.

Then, being forced along a certain island, which is called the Tail, we were barely able to hold on to the ship’s lifeboat.(b)

When this was taken up, they used it to assist in securing the ship. For they were afraid that they might run aground. And having lowered the sails, they were being driven along in this way.(c)

Then, since we were being tossed about strongly by the tempest, on the following day, they threw the heavy items overboard.

And on the third day, with their own hands, they threw the equipment of the ship overboard.

Then, when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no end to the storm was imminent, all hope for our safety was now taken away.

And after they had fasted for a long time, Paul, standing in their midst, said: “Certainly, men, you should have listened to me and not set out from Crete, so as to cause this injury and loss.

And now, let me persuade you to be courageous in soul. For there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

For an Angel of God, who is assigned to me and whom I serve, stood beside me this night,

saying: ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar. And behold, God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.’

Because of this, men, be courageous in soul. For I trust God that this will happen in the same way that it has been told to me.

But it is necessary for us to arrive at a certain island.”

The Shipwreck

Then, after the fourteenth night arrived, as we were navigating in the sea of Adria, about the middle of the night, the sailors believed that they saw some portion of the land.

And upon dropping a weight, they found a depth of twenty paces. And some distance from there, they found a depth of fifteen paces.

Then, fearing that we might happen upon rough places, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and they were hoping for daylight to arrive soon.

Yet truly, the sailors were seeking a way to flee from the ship, for they had lowered a lifeboat into the sea, on the pretext that they were attempting to cast anchors from the bow of the ship.

So Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you will not be able to be saved.”

Then the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat, and they allowed it to fall.

And when it began to be light, Paul requested that they all take food, saying: “This is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and continuing to fast, taking nothing.

For this reason, I beg you to accept food for the sake of your health. For not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish.”

And when he had said these things, taking bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat.

Then they all became more peaceful in soul. And they also took food.

Truly, we were two hundred and seventy-six souls on the ship.

And having been nourished with food, they lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the sea.

And when day had arrived, they did not recognize the landscape. Yet truly, they caught sight of a certain narrow inlet having a shore, into which they thought it might be possible to force the ship.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, at the same time loosing the restraints of the rudders. And so, raising the mainsail to the gusting wind, they pressed on toward the shore.

And when we happened upon a place open to two seas, they ran the ship aground. And indeed, the bow, being immobilized, remained fixed, but truly the stern was broken by the violence of the sea.

Then the soldiers were in agreement that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone, after escaping by swimming, might flee.

But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, prohibited it from being done. And he ordered those who were able to swim to jump in first, and to escape, and to get to the land.

And as for the others, some they carried on boards, and others on those things that belonged to the ship. And so it happened that every soul escaped to the land.

Footnotes

(a)27:10 In those days, the Mediterranean was not considered safe to sail during the winter months, from after the Fast Day (Yom Kippur) to early February, because of an increase in the number and severity of storms.(Conte)

(b)27:16 The word ‘scapham’ does not refer to the ship ‘navem’ that they were sailing, but to the smaller boat, usually hauled behind the larger boat, used for going ashore.(Conte)

(c)27:17 They took the smaller boat used for going ashore into the larger boat and then they used it in strengthening the larger boat. They were afraid that they would hit a sandbar, partly because ships tend to ride low in the water during a storm (because they take on water), and because they had less control over its direction. They took down the sails, so that they would not be driven aground on the island.(Conte)

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