The Shipwreck
On the fourteenth night the sailors sense they are nearing land, take soundings, and drop anchors while waiting for dawn. When some of them try to escape in the lifeboat under pretense of lowering anchors, Paul warns the centurion and soldiers that they must remain with the ship, and the soldiers cut the boat away.
O27n the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28They 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. 29Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak. 30Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea. 31But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.
As day approaches, Paul urges them to eat for strength, promising that not one of them will perish. He then takes bread, gives thanks to God before them all, breaks it, and begins to eat, and the rest follow his example before lightening the ship once more by throwing grain into the sea.
33Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food. 34So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.” 35After 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. 36They were all encouraged and took some food themselves. 37In all, there were 276 of us on board. 38After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
At daylight they aim for a sandy bay, cut away anchors, loosen the rudders, and head for shore, but the ship strikes a sandbar and begins breaking apart under the surf. The soldiers want to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, yet the centurion spares them for Paul’s sake, and all reach land by swimming or clinging to wreckage.
39When 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. 40Cutting 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. 41But 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. 42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. 43But 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. 44The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.