Paul Sails for Rome 1 UDB When the Governor decided that we should sail for Italy, he put Paul and some other prisoners under the control of an army captain whose name was Julius. He held the rank of centurion and was part of a large number of soldiers who were under the direct command of the emperor. BSB BSB: When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
2 UDB We boarded a ship from the city of Adramyttium in Asia. The ship was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia. In this way we went to sea. Aristarchus, from Thessalonica in Macedonia, went with us. BSB BSB: We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3 UDB The next day we arrived at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go see his friends who would care for him. BSB BSB: The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.
4 UDB Then the ship set sail from there. We went along the coast of Cyprus, which was sheltered from the wind, because the wind was against us. BSB BSB: After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
5 UDB After that, we crossed over the sea close to the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. The ship arrived at Myra, which is in Lycia. We got off the ship there. BSB BSB: And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.
6 UDB In Myra, Julius found a ship that had come from Alexandria and would soon sail to Italy. So he arranged for us to go aboard that ship, and we left. BSB BSB: There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
7 UDB We sailed slowly for many days and came near to Cnidus, but we got there with difficulty because the winds were against us. After that, the wind was very strong and did not allow the ship to move straight ahead westward. Instead, we sailed along the coast of the island of Crete, where the wind was not blowing strongly, and we passed near Salmone, a piece of land sticking out into the water. BSB BSB: After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
8 UDB The wind was still strong, and it prevented the ship from moving ahead fast. So we moved slowly along the coast of Crete, and we arrived at a town that was called Fair Havens, near Lasea. BSB BSB: After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 UDB Much time had passed. Most sailors would not set sail after the Jewish fasting period, because at that time the sea would become very dangerous. So Paul said to the men on the ship, BSB BSB: By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,
10 UDB "Men, I see that if we sail now, it will be disastrous for us with much injury and loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." BSB BSB: “Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”
11 UDB But the Roman captain did not believe Paul. Instead, he believed what the pilot and the owner of the ship said, and he decided to do what they advised. BSB BSB: But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.
12 UDB The harbor was not a good place to remain during the winter, so most of the sailors advised going to sea from there. They hoped that they could reach Phoenix and spend the winter there. Phoenix is a town on the island of Crete. Its harbor faced both the southwest and the northwest. BSB BSB: Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, hoping that somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.
The Storm at Sea (Jonah 1:4–10)
13 UDB Because there was only a gentle wind blowing from the south, the ship's crew thought that they could travel like they wanted to. So they lifted the anchor up out of the sea, and the ship sailed close along the coastline of the island of Crete. BSB BSB: When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.
14 UDB After a short time, however, a stormy wind blew down from the shore. It blew across the island from the north side and hit the ship. People call that stormy wind "the Northeast Wind." BSB BSB: But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.
15 UDB It blew strongly against the front of the ship, and we could not sail against it. So the sailors let the wind move the ship in the direction that the wind was blowing. BSB BSB: Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.
16 UDB The ship then sailed along the coastline of a small island named Cauda. We were able with difficulty to fasten the lifeboat securely to the ship. BSB BSB: Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.
17 UDB After the sailors hoisted the lifeboat onto the ship, they used cables to reinforce the ship. They passed them under the ship's hull to strengthen the ship. The sailors were afraid that we would run aground on the sandbars called Syrtis, so they lowered the sea anchor and in this manner the wind drove us along. The wind and the waves continued to toss the ship about roughly, so on the next day the sailors began to throw things overboard. BSB BSB: After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along.
19 UDB On the third day of the storm, the sailors threw overboard most of the sails, ropes, and poles, in order to make the ship lighter. They did this with their own hands. BSB BSB: On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
20 UDB The wind continued to blow very strongly for many days, and the sky was full of dark clouds day and night so that we could not see the sun or the stars. We had lost all hope that we would survive. BSB BSB: When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.
21 UDB None of us on the ship had eaten for many days. Then one day, Paul stood up in front of us and said, "Friends, you should have listened to me when I said that we should not set sail from Crete. BSB BSB: After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.
22 UDB But now, I urge you, do not be afraid, because none of us will die. The storm will destroy the ship but not us. BSB BSB: But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.
23 UDB I know this because last night God, the one to whom I belong and whom I serve, sent an angel who came and stood by me. BSB BSB: For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me
24 UDB The angel said to me, 'Paul, do not be afraid. You must go to Rome and stand before the emperor there so that he can judge you. I want you to know that God has granted to you that all those who are traveling by ship with you will also survive.' BSB BSB: and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’
25 UDB So cheer up, my friends, because I believe that God will make this happen exactly as the angel told me. BSB BSB: So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.
26 UDB However, the ship will crash on some island, and we will go ashore there." BSB BSB: However, we must run aground on some island.”
The Shipwreck 27 UDB On the fourteenth night after the storm had begun, the ship was still being blown across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight, the sailors thought that the ship was getting close to land. BSB BSB: On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
28 UDB So they lowered a rope to measure how deep the water was. When they pulled the rope up, they measured it and saw that the water was forty meters deep. A little later, they measured again and found thirty meters. BSB BSB: They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.
29 UDB They were afraid that the ship might go onto some rocks, so they threw out four anchors from the ship's stern. Then they prayed that it would soon be dawn so that they could see where the ship was going. BSB BSB: Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.
30 UDB Some of the sailors were planning to escape from the ship, so they lowered the lifeboat into the sea. In order that no one would know what they planned to do, they pretended that they wanted to lower some anchors from the ship's front. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.
31 UDB But Paul said to the army captain and the soldiers, "If the sailors do not stay in the ship, you have no hope of surviving." BSB BSB: But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
32 UDB So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the lifeboat fall into the water. BSB BSB: So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.
33 UDB Just before dawn, Paul urged everyone on the ship to eat some food. He said, "For the past fourteen days you have been waiting and watching and not eating anything. BSB BSB: Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food.
34 UDB So now I urge you to eat some food. You must do this to live. Not even one hair from your heads will perish." BSB BSB: So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”
35 UDB After Paul had said that, while everyone was watching, he took some bread and thanked God for it. Then he broke the bread and began to eat some of it. BSB BSB: After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
36 UDB Then they were all cheered up and ate some food. BSB BSB: They were all encouraged and took some food themselves.
37 UDB Altogether there were 276 of us on the ship. BSB BSB: In all, there were 276 of us on board.
38 UDB When everyone had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the rest of the wheat into the sea. BSB BSB: After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39 UDB At dawn we could see land, but the sailors did not know where we were. However, they could see a bay and a wide area of sand at the water's edge. They decided to try to run the ship up onto the beach. BSB BSB: When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
40 UDB So they cast off the anchors and let them fall loose into the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that fastened the rudders, and they raised the front sail so that the wind would blow into it. They then steered the ship toward the shore. BSB BSB: Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.
41 UDB But the ship sailed into turbulent waters and ran hard onto a sandbank that was just under the waves. The front of the ship stuck there and could not move, and big waves beat against the back of the ship, so that it began to break apart. BSB BSB: But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was being broken up by the pounding of the waves.
42 UDB The soldiers had it in mind to kill all the prisoners so that none of them could swim away and escape. BSB BSB: The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom.
43 UDB But the army captain wanted to save Paul, so he stopped the soldiers from doing this. Instead, he commanded that everyone who could swim should jump into the water and swim to shore. BSB BSB: But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
44 UDB Then he told the others to hold onto planks or other pieces from the ship and go toward the shore. We did what he said, and in that way all of us arrived safely on land. BSB BSB: The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.