Acts 27:9-28
Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the fast was already over, Paul advised them,“ Men, I can see the voyage is going to end in disaster and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”But the centurion was more convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said.Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there. They hoped that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they could carry out their purpose, so they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete.Not long after this, a hurricane- force wind called the northeaster blew down from the island.When the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.As we ran under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat under control.After the crew had hoisted it aboard, they used supports to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor, thus letting themselves be driven along.The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, they began throwing the cargo overboard,and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands.When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent storm continued to batter us, we finally abandoned all hope of being saved.Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said,“ Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss.And now I advise you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost.For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to meand said,‘ Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously granted you the safety of all who are sailing with you.’Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be just as I have been told.But we must run aground on some island.”When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land.They took soundings and found the water was twenty fathoms deep; when they had sailed a little farther they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms deep.
