27 But when it had been determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered up Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion, by name Julius, of Augustus' company.

² And going on board a ship of Adramyttium about to navigate by the places along Asia, we set sail, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

³ And the next day we arrived at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and suffered him to go to his friends and refresh himself.

⁴ And setting sail thence we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵ And having sailed over the waters of Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra in Lycia:

⁶ and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria sailing to Italy, he made us go on board her.

⁷ And sailing slowly for many days, and having with difficulty got abreast of Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under the lee of Crete abreast of Salmone;

⁸ and coasting it with difficulty we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was [the] city of Lasaea.

⁹ And much time having now been spent, and navigation being already dangerous, because the fast also was already past, Paul counselled them,

¹⁰ saying, Men, I perceive that the navigation will be with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.

¹¹ But the centurion believed rather the helmsman and the shipowner than what was said by Paul.

¹² And the harbour being ill adapted to winter in, the most counselled to set sail thence, if perhaps they might reach Phoenice to winter in, a port of Crete looking north-east and south-east.

¹³ And [the] south wind blowing gently, supposing that they had gained their object, having weighed anchor they sailed close in shore along Crete.

¹⁴ But not long after there came down it a hurricane called Euroclydon.

¹⁵ And the ship being caught and driven, and not able to bring her head to the wind, letting her go we were driven [before it].

¹⁶ But running under the lee of a certain island called Clauda, we were with difficulty able to make ourselves masters of the boat;

¹⁷ which having hoisted up, they used helps, frapping the ship; and fearing lest they should run into Syrtis and run aground, and having lowered the gear they were so driven.

¹⁸ But the storm being extremely violent on us, on the next day they threw cargo overboard,

¹⁹ and on the third day with their own hands they cast away the ship furniture.

²⁰ And neither sun nor stars appearing for many days, and no small storm lying on us, in the end all hope of our being saved was taken away.

²¹ And when they had been a long while without taking food, Paul then standing up in the midst of them said, Ye ought, O men, to have hearkened to me, and not have made sail from Crete and have gained this disaster and loss.

²² And now I exhort you to be of good courage, for there shall be no loss at all of life of [any] of you, only of the ship.

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

²⁴ saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted to thee all those that sail with thee.

²⁵ Wherefore be of good courage, men, for I believe God that thus it shall be, as it has been said to me.

²⁶ But we must be cast ashore on a certain island.

²⁷ And when the fourteenth night was come, we being driven about in Adria, towards the middle of the night the sailors supposed that some land neared them,

²⁸ and having sounded found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther and having again sounded they found fifteen fathoms;

²⁹ and fearing lest we should be cast on rocky places, casting four anchors out of the stern, they wished that day were come.

³⁰ But the sailors wishing to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat into the sea under pretext of being about to carry out anchors from the prow,

³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these abide in the ship *ye* cannot be saved.

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

³³ And while it was drawing on to daylight, Paul exhorted them all to partake of food, saying, Ye have passed the fourteenth day watching in expectation without taking food.

³⁴ Wherefore I exhort you to partake of food, for this has to do with your safety; for not a hair from the head of any one of you shall perish.

³⁵ And, having said these things and taken a loaf, he gave thanks to God before all, and having broken it began to eat.

³⁶ And all taking courage, themselves also took food.

³⁷ And we were in the ship, all the souls, two hundred and seventy-six.

³⁸ And having satisfied themselves with food, they lightened the ship, casting out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹ And when it was day they did not recognise the land; but they perceived a certain bay having a strand, on which they were minded, if they should be able, to run the ship ashore;

⁴⁰ and, having cast off the anchors, they left [them] in the sea, at the same time loosening the lashings of the rudders, and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the strand.

⁴¹ And falling into a place where two seas met they ran the ship aground, and the prow having stuck itself fast remained unmoved, but the stern was broken by the force of the waves.

⁴² And [the] counsel of the soldiers was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one should swim off and escape.

⁴³ But the centurion, desirous of saving Paul, hindered them of their purpose, and commanded those who were able to swim, casting themselves first [into the sea], to get out on land;

⁴⁴ and the rest, some on boards, some on some of the things [that came] from the ship; and thus it came to pass that all got safe to land.

28 And when we got safe [to land] we then knew that the island was called Melita.

² But the barbarians shewed us no common kindness; for, having kindled a fire, they took us all in because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

³ And Paul having gathered a [certain] quantity of sticks together in a bundle and laid [it] on the fire, a viper coming out from the heat seized his hand.

⁴ And when the barbarians saw the beast hanging from his hand, they said to one another, This man is certainly a murderer, whom, [though] saved out of the sea, Nemesis has not allowed to live.

⁵ *He* however, having shaken off the beast into the fire, felt no harm.

⁶ But *they* expected that he would have swollen or fallen down suddenly dead. But when they had expected a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, changing their opinion, they said he was a god.

⁷ Now in the country surrounding that place were the lands belonging to the chief man of the island, by name Publius, who received us and gave [us] hospitality three days in a very friendly way.

⁸ And it happened that the father of Publius lay ill of fever and dysentery; to whom Paul entered in, and having prayed and laid his hands on him cured him.

⁹ But this having taken place, the rest also who had sicknesses in the island came and were healed:

¹⁰ who also honoured us with many honours, and on our leaving they made presents to us of what should minister to our wants.

¹¹ And after three months we sailed in a ship which had wintered in the island, an Alexandrian, with [the] Dioscuri for its ensign.

¹² And having come to Syracuse we remained three days.

¹³ Whence, going in a circuitous course, we arrived at Rhegium; and after one day, the wind having changed to south, on the second day we came to Puteoli,

¹⁴ where, having found brethren, we were begged to stay with them seven days. And thus we went to Rome.

¹⁵ And thence the brethren, having heard about us, came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Tres Tabernae, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶ And when we came to Rome, [the centurion delivered up the prisoners to the praetorian prefect, but] Paul was allowed to remain by himself with the soldier who kept him.

¹⁷ And it came to pass after three days, that he called together those who were the chief of the Jews; and when they had come together he said to them, Brethren, *I* having done nothing against the people or the customs of our forefathers, have been delivered a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

¹⁸ who having examined me were minded to let me go, because there was nothing worthy of death in me.

¹⁹ But the Jews speaking against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not as having anything to accuse my nation of.

²⁰ For this cause therefore I have called you to [me] to see and to speak to you; for on account of the hope of Israel I have this chain about me.

²¹ And they said to him, For our part, we have neither received letters from Judaea concerning thee, nor has any one of the brethren who has arrived reported or said anything evil concerning thee.

²² But we beg to hear of thee what thou thinkest, for as concerning this sect it is known to us that it is everywhere spoken against.

²³ And having appointed him a day many came to him to the lodging, to whom he expounded, testifying of the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and the prophets, from early morning to evening.

²⁴ And some were persuaded of the things which were said, but some disbelieved.

²⁵ And being disagreed among themselves they left; Paul having spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit through Esaias the prophet to our fathers,

²⁶ saying, Go to this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear and not understand, and seeing ye shall see and not perceive.

²⁷ For the heart of this people has become fat, and they hear heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

²⁸ Be it known to you therefore, that this salvation of God has been sent to the nations; *they* also will hear [it].

²⁹ [And he having said this, the Jews went away, having great reasoning among themselves.]

³⁰ And he remained two whole years in his own hired lodging, and received all who came to him,

³¹ preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with all freedom unhinderedly.