1
When we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2
The natives there were very friendly to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they built a fire and made us all welcome.
3
Paul gathered up a bundle of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a snake came out on account of the heat and fastened itself to his hand.
4
The natives saw the snake hanging on Paul's hand and said to one another, "This man must be a murderer, but Fate will not let him live, even though he escaped from the sea."
5
But Paul shook the snake off into the fire without being harmed at all.
6
They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after waiting for a long time and not seeing anything unusual happening to him, they changed their minds and said, "He is a god!"
7
Not far from that place were some fields that belonged to Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us kindly and for three days we were his guests.
8
Publius' father was in bed, sick with fever and dysentery. Paul went into his room, prayed, placed his hands on him, and healed him.
9
When this happened, all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.