BooK of Acts of the First Believers
Shipwreck! (Paraphrased)
1 - And so, when it was decided we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustus Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking upon a ship which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and let him go and visit friends and receive hospitality.
4 Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus (sailed the channel between Cyprus and the mainland) because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 And there the centurion Julius found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and he put us on board.
7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with some difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind didn’t allow us to go further, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous being late in the season. Even the (Day of Atonement) fast day was already over. And Paul advised them, 10 saying, “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 paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship, than to what Paul was saying.12 And because the harbor wasn’t suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea, hoping to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, which faced both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
13 And when the south wind blew gently, supposing it a favorable wind, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, staying close to shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called a northeaster, swept down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and couldn’t resist the wind, we gave way and were driven along. 16 Then running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's lifeboat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes (wrapped round a few times, called frapping) to undergird the ship. Then, fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis [two always moving quicksands - the terror of all Mediterranean sailors] they lowered the main mast, and thus were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to toss over the cargo. 19 And on the third day we threw the ship's furniture and luggages overboard with our own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars were seen for many days, and no small tempestuous wind lay upon us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 And since all had been without food for a long while, Paul stood up and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you! But only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong, and of whom I worship, 24 and he said to me, ‘Don’t fear, Paul, for you will stand before Caesar. And God has granted you the lives of all those who sail with you.’”
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An ‘Enter the Story’ Reading & Study
