The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 As soon as arrangements were complete for our sailing to Italy, Paul and a few other prisoners were placed under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, a member of an elite guard.
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And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was bound for Ephesus and ports west. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.
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And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
3 The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul most decently - let him get off the ship and enjoy the hospitality of his friends there.
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And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
4 Out to sea again, we sailed north under the protection of the northeast shore of Cyprus because winds out of the west were against us,
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And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 and then along the coast westward to the port of Myra.
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And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 There the centurion found an Egyptian ship headed for Italy and transferred us on board.
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And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
7 We ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course. After much difficulty, we finally made it to the southern coast of the island of Crete
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And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
8 and docked at Good Harbor (appropriate name!).
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And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
9 By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned,
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Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
10 "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship - to say nothing of our lives! - if we put out to sea now."
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And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
11 The centurion set Paul's warning aside and let the ship captain and the shipowner talk him into trying for the next harbor.
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Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
12 But it was not the best harbor for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable.
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And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
13 When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing.
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And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck.
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But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm.
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And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails.
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And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17 But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors.
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Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 Next day, out on the high seas again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard.
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And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions.
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And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.
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And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial.
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But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship - the ship itself is doomed.
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And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
23 "Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve,
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For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet - and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.'
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Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me.
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Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 But we're going to shipwreck on some island or other."
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Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land.
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But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
28 Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that ninety feet.
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And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight.
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Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow.
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And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down."
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Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off.
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Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us has felt like eating!
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And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34 But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a scratch!"
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Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35 He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around,
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And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 and they all ate heartily -
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Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
37 two hundred seventy-six of us, all told!
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And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
38 With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard.
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And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
39 At daybreak, no one recognized the land - but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach.
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And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
40 They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran before the wind toward the beach.
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And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 But we didn't make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up.
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And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming,
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And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it,
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But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.
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And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.