Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Acts 27
Paul Sails for Italy
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they handed Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion named Julius of the Augustan Cohort. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to visit his friends and receive care. From there we put to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were against us. We crossed the open sea along Cilicia and Pamphylia and came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We sailed slowly for many days and with difficulty arrived near Cnidus. Since the wind would not allow us to continue directly, we sailed under the shelter of Crete near Salmone. With difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
Paul Warns against Sailing On
Much time had passed, and sailing had become dangerous because even the Fast was already over. Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is going to involve injury and great loss, not only to the cargo and ship but also to our lives.” But the centurion trusted the pilot and shipowner more than Paul’s warning. Since the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority decided to sail on in hopes of reaching Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spending the winter there.
The Northeaster Drives the Ship
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had achieved their plan. They raised anchor and sailed close along Crete. But before long a violent wind called the Northeaster rushed down from the island. The ship was caught and could not face into the wind, so we gave way and were driven along. Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the ship’s boat. After hoisting it aboard, the sailors used cables to strengthen the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and allowed the ship to be driven. Because we were being violently battered by the storm, the next day they began throwing cargo overboard. On the third day they threw the ship’s equipment overboard with their own hands. For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm continued. Finally all hope that we would be saved was being lost.
God Promises the Lives of Everyone on Board
After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not sailed from Crete, avoiding this injury and loss. But now I urge you to take courage. Not one of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And look—God has graciously given you the lives of everyone sailing with you.’ Therefore take courage, men, because I trust God that it will happen exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”
The Sailors Must Remain
On the fourteenth night, while we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, around midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. Fearing we might run onto rocks, they threw four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. The sailors tried to escape from the ship and lowered the boat into the sea under the pretense that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. Paul said to the centurion and soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the boat and let it drift away.
Everyone Eats and Takes Courage
As day was about to dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat. He said, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been waiting in suspense and going without food. Therefore I urge you to eat something. This is necessary for your survival, because not a hair from any of your heads will be lost.” After saying this, Paul took bread, gave thanks to God in front of everyone, broke it, and began to eat. Everyone was encouraged and also began eating. Altogether there were two hundred seventy-six people on the ship. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.
The Ship Is Lost but Everyone Reaches Land
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but saw a bay with a beach and decided to run the ship ashore there if they could. They cut away the anchors and left them in the sea, while also loosening the ropes of the rudders. Then they raised the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar where two currents met and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, while the stern began breaking apart under the force of the waves. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none could swim away and escape. But the centurion wanted to save Paul and prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land, and the rest to follow on planks or pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.