Acts 27:9-29

We remained there a long time, until we passed the day of the Jewish fast. Paul advised the frightened sailors that they should not put out to sea in such dangerous weather, saying, “Men, I can see that our voyage would be disastrous for us and bring great loss, not only to our ship and cargo but also to our own lives. We should remain here.” But the officer in charge was persuaded more by the ship’s helmsman and captain than he was by Paul. So the majority decided to put out to sea, since Fair Haven was an exposed harbor and not suitable to winter in. They had hoped to somehow reach the Cretan port of Phineka, which was a more suitable port because it was facing south. When a gentle south breeze began to blow, they assumed they could make it, so they pulled up anchor and sailed close to Crete. But it wasn’t long before the weather abruptly worsened and a storm of hurricane force called the Nor’easter tore across the island and blew us out to sea. The sailors weren’t able to turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it be driven by the gale winds. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were barely able to get the ship’s lifeboat under control, so the crew hoisted the dinghy aboard. The sailors used ropes and cables to undergird the ship, fearing they would run aground on the shoals of Syrtis. They lowered the drag anchor to slow its speed and let the ship be driven along. The next day, because of being battered severely by the storm, the sailors jettisoned the cargo, and by the third day they even threw the ship’s tackle and rigging overboard. After many days of seeing neither the sun nor the stars, and with the violent storm continuing to rage against us, all hope of ever getting through it alive was abandoned. After being without food for a long time, Paul stepped before them all and said, “Men, you should have obeyed me and avoided all of this pain and suffering by not leaving Crete. Now listen to me. Don’t be depressed, for no one will perish—only the ship will be lost. For God’s angel visited me last night, the angel of my God, the God I passionately serve. He came and stood in front of me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand trial before Caesar. And because of God’s favor on you, he has given you the lives of everyone who is sailing with you.’ So men, keep up your courage! I know that God will protect you, just as he told me he would. But we must run aground on some island to be saved.” On the fourteenth night of being tossed about the Adriatic Sea, about midnight, the sailors sensed we were approaching land. So they took soundings and discovered that the water was about 120 feet deep. After sailing a short distance, they again took soundings and found it was only ninety feet deep. Fearing we would be dashed against a rocky coast, they dropped four anchors from the stern and waited for morning to come.