Chapter 27

  And when our sailing to Italy was determined, they were delivering up both Paul and certain others, prisoners, to a centurion, by name Julius, of the band of Sebastus,  

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  and having embarked in a ship of Adramyttium, we, being about to sail by the coasts of Asia, did set sail, there being with us Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica,  

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  on the next [day] also we touched at Sidon, and Julius, courteously treating Paul, did permit [him], having gone on unto friends, to receive [their] care.  

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  And thence, having set sail, we sailed under Cyprus, because of the winds being contrary,  

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  and having sailed over the sea over-against Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myria of Lycia,  

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  and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria, sailing to Italy, did put us into it,  

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  and having sailed slowly many days, and with difficulty coming over-against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over-against Salmone,  

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  and hardly passing it, we came to a certain place called 'Fair Havens,' nigh to which was the city [of] Lasaea.  

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  And much time being spent, and the sailing being now dangerous -- because of the fast also being already past -- Paul was admonishing,  

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  saying to them, 'Men, I perceive that with hurt, and much damage, not only of the lading and of the ship, but also of our lives -- the voyage is about to be;'  

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  but the centurion to the pilot and to the shipowner gave credence more than to the things spoken by Paul;  

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  and the haven being incommodious to winter in, the more part gave counsel to sail thence also, if by any means they might be able, having attained to Phenice, [there] to winter, [which is] a haven of Crete, looking to the south-west and north-west,  

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  and a south wind blowing softly, having thought they had obtained [their] purpose, having lifted anchor, they sailed close by Crete,  

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  and not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, that is called Euroclydon,  

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  and the ship being caught, and not being able to bear up against the wind, having given [her] up, we were borne on,  

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  and having run under a certain little isle, called Clauda, we were hardly able to become masters of the boat,  

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  which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they may fall on the quicksand, having let down the mast -- so were borne on.  

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  And we, being exceedingly tempest-tossed, the succeeding [day] they were making a clearing,  

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  and on the third [day] with our own hands the tackling of the ship we cast out,  

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  and neither sun nor stars appearing for more days, and not a little tempest lying upon us, thenceforth all hope was taken away of our being saved.  

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  And there having been long fasting, then Paul having stood in the midst of them, said, 'It behoved [you], indeed, O men -- having hearkened to me -- not to set sail from Crete, and to save this hurt and damage;  

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  and now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of life among you -- but of the ship;  

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  for there stood by me this night a messenger of God -- whose I am, and whom I serve --  

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  saying, Be not afraid Paul; before Caesar it behoveth thee to stand; and, lo, God hath granted to thee all those sailing with thee;  

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  wherefore be of good cheer, men! for I believe God, that so it shall be, even as it hath been spoken to me,  

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  and on a certain island it behoveth us to be cast.'  

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  And when the fourteenth night came -- we being borne up and down in the Adria -- toward the middle of the night the sailors were supposing that some country drew nigh to them;  

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  and having sounded they found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther, and again having sounded, they found fifteen fathoms,  

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  and fearing lest on rough places we may fall, out of the stern having cast four anchors, they were wishing day to come.  

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  And the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat to the sea, in pretence as [if] out of the foreship they are about to cast anchors,  

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  Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, 'If these do not remain in the ship -- ye are not able to be saved;'  

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  then the soldiers did cut off the ropes of the boat, and suffered it to fall off.  

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  And till the day was about to be, Paul was calling upon all to partake of nourishment, saying, 'Fourteen days to-day, waiting, ye continue fasting, having taken nothing,  

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  wherefore I call upon you to take nourishment, for this is for your safety, for of not one of you shall a hair from the head fall;'  

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  and having said these things, and having taken bread, he gave thanks to God before all, and having broken [it], he began to eat;  

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  and all having become of good cheer, themselves also took food,  

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  (and we were -- all the souls in the ship -- two hundred, seventy and six),  

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  and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea.  

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  And when the day came, they were not discerning the land, but a certain creek were perceiving having a beach, into which they took counsel, if possible, to thrust forward the ship,  

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  and the anchors having taken up, they were committing [it] to the sea, at the same time -- having loosed the bands of the rudders, and having hoisted up the mainsail to the wind -- they were making for the shore,  

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  and having fallen into a place of two seas, they ran the ship aground, and the fore-part, indeed, having stuck fast, did remain immoveable, but the hinder-part was broken by the violence of the waves.  

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  And the soldiers' counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one having swam out should escape,  

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  but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, hindered them from the counsel, and did command those able to swim, having cast themselves out first -- to get unto the land,  

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  and the rest, some indeed upon boards, and some upon certain things of the ship; and thus it came to pass that all came safe unto the land.  

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