Acts 28:2-12

2 ¹The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and ²received us all.

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

4 When ³the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "⁴Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."

5 However * ⁵he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and ⁶began to say that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days.

8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had ⁷prayed, he ⁸laid his hands on him and healed him.

9 After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.

10 They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

Paul Arrives at Rome

11 At the end of three months we set sail on ⁹an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

12 After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 28:4; Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 14:11; Colossians 3:11
• 2. Romans 14:1
• 3. Acts 28:2
• 4. Luke 13:2, 4
• 5. Mark 16:18
• 6. Acts 14:11
• 7. Acts 9:40; James 5:14
• 8. Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:23; Mark 6:5
• 9. Acts 27:6

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "barbarians"
• [b] Or "from the heat"
• [c] Lit "barbarians"
• [d] Or "Justice," i.e. the personification of a goddess
• [e] Lit "honors"
• [f] Or "put on board"
• [g] Lit "the things pertaining to the needs"
• [h] Gr "Dioscuri;" i.e. Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Zeus