Paul's Shipwreck, Malta and Arrival in Rome

Acts 27

¹ 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.

² 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.

³ The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

⁴ Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵ When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

⁶ There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

⁷ 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.

⁸ With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹ When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them

¹⁰ 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.”

¹¹ 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.

¹² 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.

¹³ When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

¹⁴ But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.

¹⁵ When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

¹⁶ Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

¹⁹ On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

²⁰ 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.

²¹ 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.

²² Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

²³ For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

²⁴ saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

²⁵ Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

²⁶ But we must run aground on a certain island.”

²⁷ 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.

²⁸ They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.

²⁹ Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

³⁰ 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,

³¹ Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

³² Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

³³ 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.

³⁴ 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.”

³⁵ 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.

³⁶ Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

³⁷ In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

³⁸ When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹ 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.

⁴⁰ 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.

⁴¹ 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.

⁴² The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

⁴³ 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;

⁴⁴ and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

Acts 28

¹ When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.

² The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

⁴ When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”

⁵ However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.

⁶ But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

⁷ Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and courteously entertained us for three days.

⁸ The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

⁹ Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured.

¹⁰ They also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.

¹¹ After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.”

¹² Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

¹³ From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

¹⁴ where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

¹⁵ From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶ When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

¹⁷ After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

¹⁸ who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

¹⁹ But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

²⁰ For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

²¹ They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

²² But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”

²³ When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

²⁴ Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

²⁵ When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

²⁶ saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

²⁷ For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’

²⁸ “Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”

³⁰ Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him,

³¹ preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.