Paul
Shipwreck on the Way to Rome
Paul's ship is wrecked in a violent storm, but all 276 on board are saved and reach land on Malta, where Paul survives a snakebite and heals the sick.
Actes 27,1-28,10
1When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Cohort.
Ὡς δὲ ἐκρίθη τοῦ ἀποπλεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν, παρεδίδουν τόν τε Παῦλον καί τινας ἑτέρους δεσμώτας ἑκατοντάρχῃ ὀνόματι Ἰουλίῳ σπείρης Σεβαστῆς.
2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to ports along the coast of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
ἐπιβάντες δὲ πλοίῳ Ἀδραμυττηνῷ ⸀μέλλοντι πλεῖν ⸀εἰς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν τόπους ἀνήχθημεν ὄντος σὺν ἡμῖν Ἀριστάρχου Μακεδόνος Θεσσαλονικέως·
3The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly, allowing him to go to his friends and be cared for.
τῇ τε ἑτέρᾳ κατήχθημεν εἰς Σιδῶνα, φιλανθρώπως τε ὁ Ἰούλιος τῷ Παύλῳ χρησάμενος ἐπέτρεψεν πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ⸀πορευθέντι ἐπιμελείας τυχεῖν.
4From there we put out to sea and sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.
κἀκεῖθεν ἀναχθέντες ὑπεπλεύσαμεν τὴν Κύπρον διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἀνέμους εἶναι ἐναντίους,
5After crossing the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.
τό τε πέλαγος τὸ κατὰ τὴν Κιλικίαν καὶ Παμφυλίαν διαπλεύσαντες κατήλθομεν εἰς Μύρα τῆς Λυκίας.
6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us aboard.
κἀκεῖ εὑρὼν ὁ ⸀ἑκατοντάρχης πλοῖον Ἀλεξανδρῖνον πλέον εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐνεβίβασεν ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτό.
7We made slow headway for many days and struggled to arrive off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed under the lee of Crete, off Salmone.
ἐν ἱκαναῖς δὲ ἡμέραις βραδυπλοοῦντες καὶ μόλις γενόμενοι κατὰ τὴν Κνίδον, μὴ προσεῶντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἀνέμου, ὑπεπλεύσαμεν τὴν Κρήτην κατὰ Σαλμώνην,
8Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
μόλις τε παραλεγόμενοι αὐτὴν ἤλθομεν εἰς τόπον τινὰ καλούμενον Καλοὺς Λιμένας ᾧ ἐγγὺς ⸂ἦν πόλις⸃ ⸀Λασαία.
9Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because the Fast was now over. So Paul warned them,
Ἱκανοῦ δὲ χρόνου διαγενομένου καὶ ὄντος ἤδη ἐπισφαλοῦς τοῦ πλοὸς διὰ τὸ καὶ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι, παρῄνει ὁ Παῦλος
10"Men, I can see that this voyage is going to bring disaster and heavy loss—not only to the cargo and the ship, but to our own lives as well."
λέγων αὐτοῖς· Ἄνδρες, θεωρῶ ὅτι μετὰ ὕβρεως καὶ πολλῆς ζημίας οὐ μόνον τοῦ φορτίου καὶ τοῦ πλοίου ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι τὸν πλοῦν.
11But the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the ship's owner rather than by what Paul said.
ὁ δὲ ἑκατοντάρχης τῷ κυβερνήτῃ καὶ τῷ ναυκλήρῳ ⸂μᾶλλον ἐπείθετο⸃ ἢ τοῖς ⸀ὑπὸ Παύλου λεγομένοις.
12Since the harbor was unsuitable for wintering, the majority decided to sail on from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and to spend the winter there.
ἀνευθέτου δὲ τοῦ λιμένος ὑπάρχοντος πρὸς παραχειμασίαν οἱ πλείονες ἔθεντο βουλὴν ἀναχθῆναι ⸀ἐκεῖθεν, εἴ πως δύναιντο καταντήσαντες εἰς Φοίνικα παραχειμάσαι, λιμένα τῆς Κρήτης βλέποντα κατὰ λίβα καὶ κατὰ χῶρον.
13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along close to the shore of Crete.
Ὑποπνεύσαντος δὲ νότου δόξαντες τῆς προθέσεως κεκρατηκέναι ἄραντες ἆσσον παρελέγοντο τὴν Κρήτην.
14But before long a hurricane-force wind, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.
μετʼ οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἔβαλεν κατʼ αὐτῆς ἄνεμος τυφωνικὸς ὁ καλούμενος ⸀Εὐρακύλων·
15The ship was caught and could not head into the wind, so we gave way and were driven along.
συναρπασθέντος δὲ τοῦ πλοίου καὶ μὴ δυναμένου ἀντοφθαλμεῖν τῷ ἀνέμῳ ἐπιδόντες ἐφερόμεθα.
16As we passed under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were barely able to get the ship's boat under control.
νησίον δέ τι ὑποδραμόντες καλούμενον ⸀Καῦδα ⸂ἰσχύσαμεν μόλις⸃ περικρατεῖς γενέσθαι τῆς σκάφης,
17When they had hoisted it aboard, they used ropes to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis sandbars, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.
ἣν ἄραντες βοηθείαις ἐχρῶντο ὑποζωννύντες τὸ πλοῖον· φοβούμενοί τε μὴ εἰς τὴν Σύρτιν ἐκπέσωσιν, χαλάσαντες τὸ σκεῦος, οὕτως ἐφέροντο.
18We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard,
σφοδρῶς δὲ χειμαζομένων ἡμῶν τῇ ἑξῆς ἐκβολὴν ἐποιοῦντο,
19and on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.
καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ αὐτόχειρες τὴν σκευὴν τοῦ πλοίου ⸀ἔρριψαν.
20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued to rage, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
μήτε δὲ ἡλίου μήτε ἄστρων ἐπιφαινόντων ἐπὶ πλείονας ἡμέρας, χειμῶνός τε οὐκ ὀλίγου ἐπικειμένου, λοιπὸν περιῃρεῖτο ⸂ἐλπὶς πᾶσα⸃ τοῦ σῴζεσθαι ἡμᾶς.
21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said: "Men, you should have listened to me and not put out from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this disaster and loss.
Πολλῆς ⸀τε ἀσιτίας ὑπαρχούσης τότε σταθεὶς ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἶπεν· Ἔδει μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες, πειθαρχήσαντάς μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Κρήτης κερδῆσαί τε τὴν ὕβριν ταύτην καὶ τὴν ζημίαν.
22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, for not one of you will be lost—only the ship.
καὶ τὰ νῦν παραινῶ ὑμᾶς εὐθυμεῖν, ἀποβολὴ γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐδεμία ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν πλὴν τοῦ πλοίου·
23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me
παρέστη γάρ μοι ταύτῃ τῇ ⸀νυκτὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗ ⸀εἰμι, ᾧ καὶ λατρεύω, ⸀ἄγγελος
24and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'
λέγων· Μὴ φοβοῦ, Παῦλε· Καίσαρί σε δεῖ παραστῆναι, καὶ ἰδοὺ κεχάρισταί σοι ὁ θεὸς πάντας τοὺς πλέοντας μετὰ σοῦ.
25So keep up your courage, men, for I trust God that it will happen just as he told me.
διὸ εὐθυμεῖτε, ἄνδρες· πιστεύω γὰρ τῷ θεῷ ὅτι οὕτως ἔσται καθʼ ὃν τρόπον λελάληταί μοι.
26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."
εἰς νῆσον δέ τινα δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἐκπεσεῖν.
27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when, about midnight, the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
Ὡς δὲ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη νὺξ ἐγένετο διαφερομένων ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ Ἀδρίᾳ, κατὰ μέσον τῆς νυκτὸς ὑπενόουν οἱ ναῦται προσάγειν τινὰ αὐτοῖς χώραν.
28They took soundings and found the water twenty fathoms deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it fifteen fathoms deep.
καὶ βολίσαντες εὗρον ὀργυιὰς εἴκοσι, βραχὺ δὲ διαστήσαντες καὶ πάλιν βολίσαντες εὗρον ὀργυιὰς δεκαπέντε·
29Fearing we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
φοβούμενοί τε ⸂μή που κατὰ⸃ τραχεῖς τόπους ἐκπέσωμεν ἐκ πρύμνης ῥίψαντες ἀγκύρας τέσσαρας ηὔχοντο ἡμέραν γενέσθαι.
30The sailors tried to escape from the ship; they lowered the ship's boat into the sea, pretending they were going to let out anchors from the bow.
τῶν δὲ ναυτῶν ζητούντων φυγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου καὶ χαλασάντων τὴν σκάφην εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν προφάσει ὡς ἐκ πρῴρης ⸂ἀγκύρας μελλόντων⸃ ἐκτείνειν,
31Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."
εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις· Ἐὰν μὴ οὗτοι μείνωσιν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ, ὑμεῖς σωθῆναι οὐ δύνασθε.
32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the ship's boat and let it fall away.
τότε ⸂ἀπέκοψαν οἱ στρατιῶται⸃ τὰ σχοινία τῆς σκάφης καὶ εἴασαν αὐτὴν ἐκπεσεῖν.
33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven't eaten a thing.
Ἄχρι δὲ οὗ ⸂ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν⸃ γίνεσθαι παρεκάλει ὁ Παῦλος ἅπαντας μεταλαβεῖν τροφῆς λέγων· Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην σήμερον ἡμέραν προσδοκῶντες ἄσιτοι διατελεῖτε, μηθὲν προσλαβόμενοι·
34Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."
διὸ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ⸀μεταλαβεῖν τροφῆς, τοῦτο γὰρ πρὸς τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας ὑπάρχει· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ὑμῶν θρὶξ ⸀ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς ⸀ἀπολεῖται.
35After he said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
⸀εἴπας δὲ ταῦτα καὶ λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐχαρίστησεν τῷ θεῷ ἐνώπιον πάντων καὶ κλάσας ἤρξατο ἐσθίειν.
36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.
εὔθυμοι δὲ γενόμενοι πάντες καὶ αὐτοὶ προσελάβοντο τροφῆς.
37Altogether there were two hundred seventy-six of us on board.
ἤμεθα δὲ ⸂αἱ πᾶσαι ψυχαὶ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ⸃ ⸀διακόσιαι ἑβδομήκοντα ἕξ.
38When they had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
κορεσθέντες ⸀δὲ τροφῆς ἐκούφιζον τὸ πλοῖον ἐκβαλλόμενοι τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.
39When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.
Ὅτε δὲ ἡμέρα ἐγένετο, τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐπεγίνωσκον, κόλπον δέ τινα κατενόουν ἔχοντα αἰγιαλὸν εἰς ὃν ⸀ἐβουλεύοντο εἰ ⸀δύναιντο ⸀ἐξῶσαι τὸ πλοῖον.
40Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea; at the same time they untied the ropes that held the rudders, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach.
καὶ τὰς ἀγκύρας περιελόντες εἴων εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἅμα ἀνέντες τὰς ζευκτηρίας τῶν πηδαλίων, καὶ ἐπάραντες τὸν ἀρτέμωνα τῇ πνεούσῃ κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν.
41But the ship struck a sandbar where two currents met and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, while the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
περιπεσόντες δὲ εἰς τόπον διθάλασσον ⸀ἐπέκειλαν τὴν ναῦν, καὶ ἡ μὲν πρῷρα ἐρείσασα ἔμεινεν ἀσάλευτος, ἡ δὲ πρύμνα ἐλύετο ὑπὸ τῆς ⸀βίας.
42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that none of them could swim away and escape.
τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν βουλὴ ἐγένετο ἵνα τοὺς δεσμώτας ἀποκτείνωσιν, μή τις ἐκκολυμβήσας διαφύγῃ·
43But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land,
ὁ δὲ ⸀ἑκατοντάρχης βουλόμενος διασῶσαι τὸν Παῦλον ἐκώλυσεν αὐτοὺς τοῦ βουλήματος, ἐκέλευσέν τε τοὺς δυναμένους κολυμβᾶν ἀπορίψαντας πρώτους ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐξιέναι,
44and the rest to follow on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς οὓς μὲν ἐπὶ σανίσιν οὓς δὲ ἐπί τινων τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου· καὶ οὕτως ἐγένετο πάντας διασωθῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.
1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.
Καὶ διασωθέντες τότε ⸀ἐπέγνωμεν ὅτι ⸀Μελίτη ἡ νῆσος καλεῖται.
2The local people showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and it was cold.
οἵ ⸀τε βάρβαροι παρεῖχον οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν φιλανθρωπίαν ἡμῖν, ⸀ἅψαντες γὰρ πυρὰν προσελάβοντο πάντας ἡμᾶς διὰ τὸν ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα καὶ διὰ τὸ ψῦχος.
3Paul had gathered an armful of brushwood and was laying it on the fire when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
συστρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ Παύλου φρυγάνων ⸀τι πλῆθος καὶ ἐπιθέντος ἐπὶ τὴν πυράν, ἔχιδνα ⸀ἀπὸ τῆς θέρμης ⸀ἐξελθοῦσα καθῆψε τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ.
4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "This man must be a murderer. He escaped the sea, but Justice has not let him live."
ὡς δὲ εἶδον οἱ βάρβαροι κρεμάμενον τὸ θηρίον ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ, ⸂πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔλεγον⸃· Πάντως φονεύς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος ὃν διασωθέντα ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν.
5But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀποτινάξας τὸ θηρίον εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἔπαθεν οὐδὲν κακόν·
6They expected him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing that nothing was wrong with him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
οἱ δὲ προσεδόκων αὐτὸν μέλλειν πίμπρασθαι ἢ καταπίπτειν ἄφνω νεκρόν. ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ αὐτῶν προσδοκώντων καὶ θεωρούντων μηδὲν ἄτοπον εἰς αὐτὸν γινόμενον, ⸀μεταβαλόμενοι ἔλεγον ⸂αὐτὸν εἶναι θεόν⸃.
7Nearby were estates belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who took us in and entertained us hospitably for three days.
Ἐν δὲ τοῖς περὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον ὑπῆρχεν χωρία τῷ πρώτῳ τῆς νήσου ὀνόματι Ποπλίῳ, ὃς ἀναδεξάμενος ἡμᾶς ⸂τρεῖς ἡμέρας⸃ φιλοφρόνως ἐξένισεν.
8It happened that the father of Publius was in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him, prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him.
ἐγένετο δὲ τὸν πατέρα τοῦ Ποπλίου πυρετοῖς καὶ ⸀δυσεντερίῳ συνεχόμενον κατακεῖσθαι, πρὸς ὃν ὁ Παῦλος εἰσελθὼν καὶ προσευξάμενος ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῷ ἰάσατο αὐτόν.
9After this, the rest of the sick on the island kept coming to him and were cured.
τούτου ⸀δὲ γενομένου καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ ⸂ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ἔχοντες ἀσθενείας⸃ προσήρχοντο καὶ ἐθεραπεύοντο,
10They honored us in many ways, and when we set sail they supplied us with everything we needed.
οἳ καὶ πολλαῖς τιμαῖς ἐτίμησαν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀναγομένοις ἐπέθεντο τὰ πρὸς ⸂τὰς χρείας⸃.