60 Bible Verses about Seafaring

Zebulun will live by the coast. He will have ships by the coast. His border will go as far as Sidon.

The tribe of Gad stayed east of the Jordan. The tribe of Dan remained by the ships. The tribe of Asher stayed by the seacoast. They remained by the shore.

Say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, thus says the Lord Jehovah: 'O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' Your borders are in the heart of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir. They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.read more.
Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars. With ivory they have inlaid your deck with cypress wood from the coastlands of Cyprus. Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt. It became your distinguishing mark. Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers. Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard. They were your pilots. The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise.

Men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them. The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. They married any of them they chose. Jehovah said: My Spirit will not contend (judge) (plead) with man forever, for he is mortal and corrupt. Therefore his days will be a hundred and twenty years.read more.
The NEPHILIM were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God had sexual intercourse with the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. Jehovah saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become. Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. Jehovah was grieved that he had made man on the earth. His heart was grieved with pain. So Jehovah said: I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth. All of them: men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air. I am sorry that I created them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. This is the ACCOUNT OF NOAH. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. He walked with God.

King Hiram sent experienced sailors from his fleet to serve with Solomon's men. They sailed to the land of Ophir and brought back to Solomon about sixteen tons of gold.

Huram sent his own servants and his experienced sailors with ships to Solomon. They went with Solomon's servants to Ophir. There they procured thirty three thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise. And you were filled and were very glorious in the heart of the seas.

Hiram's fleet that brought gold from Ophir also brought a large quantity of sandalwood and precious stones from Ophir.

The king had ships going to Tarshish with Huram's sailors. Once every three years the Tarshish ships would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

King Jehoshaphat had ocean-going ships built to sail to the land of Ophir for gold. They were wrecked at Eziongeber and never sailed. King Ahaziah of Israel offered to let his men sail with Jehoshaphat's men. Jehoshaphat refused the offer.

After this, King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, who led him to do evil. Jehoshaphat joined him in making ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships in Ezion Geber. Eliezer was the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah. He prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said: Jehovah will destroy your work because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah. The ships were wrecked and could not go to Tarshish.

Jehovah will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though he said that you would never have to go there again. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves. But no one will want to buy you.

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her. For no man buys their merchandise any more. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones, and of pearls, fine linen, purple and silk, scarlet, and everything in scented wood, all manner of ivory and all manner of most precious wood, of brass and iron and marble, cinnamon, odors and ointments, frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour, wheat, beasts, and sheep and horses, chariots and slaves and humans

Ships will come from the coast of Kittim. They will afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber. They will also come to destruction.

On that day I will send messengers in ships to terrify those who live in safety in Sudan. The people of Sudan will be in anguish when Egypt is in trouble. That day is coming!'

For ships of Kittim will come against him. He will be grieved and will return. He will have indignation against the holy covenant and will do what he pleases. He will even return, and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

Surely the coastlands wait with hope for me. The ships from Tarshish are the first to bring your children from far away. They bring their silver and their gold with them to honor the name of Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has honored you.

Jonah tried to run away from the presence of Jehovah (YHWH). He went to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of Jehovah.

Jesus entered a boat and crossed over to his own city (Capernaum), on the other side of the lake.

Being sent by Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.

When Jesus heard it, he left in a boat to a secluded place. The crowds heard this and followed him on foot from the cities.

After dismissing the crowds, Jesus took a boat to the region of Magadan.

He asked his disciples to have a small boat ready because the crowd might press too close to him.

Paul and his company put out to sea from Paphos. They went to Perga in Pamphylia. John left them to return to Jerusalem.

They sailed to Antioch, where they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work they completed.

Their disagreement was so great between them that they parted company. So Barnabas took Mark, and sailed to Cyprus.

We left by ship from Troas and sailed to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis.

Paul stayed many days. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria. Also with Paul were Priscilla and Aquila. Paul clipped this hair short in Cenchreae because of a vow.

I will return again to you if it is God's will, Paul said. Then he set sail from Ephesus.

After three months he set sail for Syria. He decided to return through Macedonia. He left there because the Jews formed a plot against him.

After we parted from them we set sail with a straight course to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and then to Patara. We went aboard a ship sailing to Phoenicia. We passed to the south of Cyprus and sailed to Syria. We landed at Tyre where the ship unloaded it's cargo.

When it was determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and other prisoners to a man named Julius, a centurion of the band of Augustus. We entered a ship at Adramyttium and set sail. We intended to sail by the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica was with us. The next day we landed at Sidon. Julius treated Paul in a kind way and gave him liberty to go to his friends to refresh himself.read more.
When we set sail from there we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. When we sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing to Italy. He put us on it. We sailed slowly for many days and had problems arriving off Cnidus. The wind did not allow us to hold our course. So we sailed to the downwind part of Crete near Salmone. It was difficult to move along the coast. We came to a place called Fair Havens near the town of Lasea.

After three months we sailed on an Alexandrian ship that wintered at the island. The ship had the gods Castor and Pollux carved on its front. We stopped at the city of Syracuse and stayed there three days. We sailed from Syracuse and arrived at the city of Rhegium. The next day a south wind began to blow, and two days later we arrived at the city of Puteoli.

Those who sail on the sea in ships, who do business on the high seas, have seen what Jehovah can do, the miracles he performed in the depths of the sea. He spoke, and a storm began to blow, and it made the waves rise high.read more.
The sailors aboard ship rose toward the sky. They plunged into the depths. Their courage failed in the face of disaster. They reeled and staggered like drunks, and all their skills as sailors became useless. In their distress they cried out to Jehovah. He led them from their troubles. He made the storm calm down, and the waves became still. The sailors were glad that the storm was quiet. He guided them to the harbor they had longed for.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, I suffered shipwreck three times, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

King Jehoshaphat had ocean-going ships built to sail to the land of Ophir for gold. They were wrecked at Eziongeber and never sailed.

Eliezer was the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah. He prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said: Jehovah will destroy your work because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah. The ships were wrecked and could not go to Tarshish.

Jonah tried to run away from the presence of Jehovah (YHWH). He went to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of Jehovah. Jehovah sent out a great windstorm upon the sea and the ship was about to break up. The sailors were so afraid that each man cried out to his own god. They threw the cargo that was on the ship into the sea to lighten the load. At that time Jonah was fast asleep down in the innermost parts of the ship.read more.
So the captain came to him, and said: Why are you sleeping? Get up and call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish. The sailors said to each other, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know whom to blame for this evil. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then they said to him, Please tell us who is the cause of this evil? What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? What people are they? He replied: I am Hebrew and I respect Jehovah, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land. Then the men were very afraid, and they asked: What is this you have done? For the men knew that he was running away from the presence of Jehovah, because he told them. Then they said: What shall we do to you to make the sea calm for us? But the sea grew more and more stormy. He replied: Pick me up and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you. I know that it is my fault the great storm came upon you. The men rowed hard to get back to the land; but they could not! The sea grew more and more stormy against them. So they cried to Jehovah, and said: We earnestly request that you, O Jehovah, do not let us perish because of this man. Do not allow the loss of innocent blood! For you, O Jehovah, have done as you pleased. So they picked up Jonah, and threw him into the sea. Immediately the sea ceased from its raging.

When he entered a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a storm blew in and the boat was covered with waves. Jesus was asleep. And they came to him, woke him, and cried: Save us, Lord, or we will perish.read more.
He said to them: Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. Suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were in awe. They asked: What kind of man is this, for even the winds and the sea obey him?

When evening arrived Jesus said: Let us go over to the other side. They took him with them on the boat and left the people. Other boats were with him also. A great windstorm came up and the waves came into the boat.read more.
He was in back of the boat sleeping on a cushion. They woke him. They said: Master is it nothing to you that we are in danger of destruction? He awoke from sleep and commanded the wind and sea. He commanded the sea to be at peace and rest. And he commanded the wind to go down and there was a great calm. He said: Why are you full of fear? Do you have no faith? Their fear was great. They said to themselves: Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey his orders?

He said to his disciples: Let us go to the other side of the lake. Then he and his disciples boarded a boat and did so. Jesus fell asleep as they sailed to the other side. A large windstorm came to the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They awoke him saying: Master, Master, we parish! He rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and there was calm.read more.
He asked them, Were is your faith? They were afraid and they marveled. They asked: Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him? They arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is near Galilee.

Jesus sent the disciples in a boat to the other side of the sea. He stayed there until he sent the crowd away. After sending the crowd away, he went to the mountain to pray by himself. He was there alone that night. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea. The wind and the waves caused great trouble.read more.
Just before morning, Jesus walked to them on the water. When they saw him walking on the water they were troubled. It is a spirit (apparition) (illusion)! they screamed! They cried out with fear. At once Jesus said: It is I; do not be afraid. Peter said to him: Lord, if it is you, give me the order to come to you on the water. He said: Come. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. When he noticed how strong the wind was, he became afraid. He began to sink, and cried: Help me Lord! Suddenly, Jesus put out his hand and took hold of him, and said: You of little faith, why were you in doubt? The wind went down when they got into the boat. Those on the boat loved him intensely, saying: Truly, you are the Son of God!

Jesus made his disciples hurry into a boat to cross to Bethsaida ahead of him. Then he sent the crowd away. After he left he went to the mountain to pray. He was on the shore at the beginning of evening and the boat was in the midst of the sea.read more.
He saw that they were tired of rowing for the wind was against them. It was the fourth watch of the night. He walked on the sea and was about to pass them. When they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a spirit (an illusion) and screamed. They all saw him and were troubled. Suddenly he spoke to them: Be of good cheer. It is I do not fear. He entered the boat and the wind ceased. They were truly amazed. They had not understood the loaves of bread. Their minds were closed. They completed the crossing to the land of Gennesaret and anchored by the shore.

That evening his disciples went to the sea. They boarded a boat to travel over the sea to Capernaum. It was dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. A great wind made the sea rise.read more.
They rowed about four miles and saw Jesus walking on the sea. He came close to the boat. They were afraid. He said to them: It is I. Do not be afraid! They eagerly brought him into the boat. The boat soon arrived at the land where they were going.

Much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous. Because the fast was over Paul admonished them, Men, I see that our voyage from here on will be dangerous. There will be great damage to the cargo and to the ship, and loss of life as well. But the army officer was convinced by what the captain and the owner of the ship said, and not by what Paul said.read more.
It was not a good harbor in which to spend the winter. Nearly everyone was in favor of putting out to sea and trying to reach Phoenix in order to spend the winter there. Phoenix is a harbor in Crete that faces southwest and northwest. A gentle wind from the south began to blow. The men thought they could accomplish their plan. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed as close as possible along the coast of Crete. Soon a very strong northeast wind blew down from the island. It hit the ship and it was impossible to keep the ship headed into the wind. We gave up trying and let it be carried along by the wind. We had shelter when we passed to the south of the little island of Cauda. There, with some difficulty we managed to make the ship's boat secure. They pulled it aboard and then fastened some ropes tight around the ship. They were afraid that they might run into the sandbanks (quicksand) off the coast of Libya, so they lowered the sail and allowed the ship be carried by the wind. The violent storm continued. The next day they began to throw some of the ship's cargo overboard. The following day they threw part of the ship's equipment overboard. The sun and stars did not appear for many days. No small tempest pressed upon us. All hope of our being saved was taken away. After they spent a long time without eating Paul stood up and said: Sirs, you should listen to me. You should not have put out to sea from Crete to sustain this damage and loss. I urge you to be of good cheer for none of you will lose your life, only the ship. Last night an angel of the God of whom I serve stood beside me. He said, Paul, do not be afraid. You must stand before Caessar and God has graciously given you the lives of you and all who sail with you. Be of good cheer. I believe God. It will happen just as he spoke to me. But we must run aground on some island. On the fourteenth night we were driven to and fro in the sea of Adria. About midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. They sounded and found twenty fathoms. After a little space they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. Fearing they would be cast ashore on rocky ground they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. The sailors were seeking to flee from the ship. They lowered the boat into the sea by pretending they were lowering some anchors from the bow. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers: Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. At daybreak Paul encouraged all of them to eat some food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue without food. I encourage you to take some food for this is for your safety. Not a hair will perish from the head of any of you. After he said this he took some bread, gave thanks to God in the presence of all. He broke it and began to eat. Then they were all cheerful and ate some food. Together there were two hundred and seventy six persons on board. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea. When daylight came they saw no land. But they thought they saw a bay with a beach. They debated whether to drive the ship upon it. They threw the anchors overboard and left them in the sea. At the same time they untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. The ship stuck fast on a sandbar and ran aground. The bow struck fast and would not move. Then the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. The soldiers' planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away and escaping. The centurion desired to save Paul so he kept them from doing what they planned. He commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard, and get to the land first. The rest were to use planks or something from the ship. So they all escaped safe to the land.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus (Kittim) word has come to them.

and also against all the large ships of Tarshish and all the beautiful boats.

Cry out O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is destroyed.

Jehovah will be the Almighty One (Powerful One) (Excellent One). It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. Jehovah is our Judge. Jehovah is our Lawgiver. Jehovah is our King! He will save us. Your rigging hangs loose. The mast is not held secure and the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.

This is what Jehovah, your redeemer, and the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send an army to Babylon. I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees in the ships that they take pride in.

Your rowers have brought you into great waters. The east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors and your pilots, your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your overthrow. The pasturelands will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots.read more.
All who handle the oars, the sailors and all the pilots of the sea will come down from their ships. They will stand on the land, And they will make their voice heard over you and will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes. They will make themselves bald for you and gird themselves with sackcloth. They will weep for you in bitterness and with painful mourning. In their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you and lament over you: Who is like Tyre, Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea? When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise you enriched the kings of earth. In the very depths of the waters, you are broken by the sea. Your merchandise and all your company have fallen in the midst of you. All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you. Their kings are horribly afraid. They are troubled in countenance. The merchants among the peoples hiss at you. You have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.'

In one hour these great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood far off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying: 'What city is like this great city!' They threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying: 'Woe, woe to the great city. All that had ships in the sea became rich by her wealth. In one hour she was made desolate.'

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error.

Keep the faith and maintain a good conscience! Some have rejected these things and have suffered shipwreck to their faith.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of life. It is a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain.

Look at ships. They are large and are driven by rough winds. Yet a very small rudder can control them, wherever the captain wills. The tongue also is a little member. It boasts great things. Consider how great a forest fire a small fire kindles!

You break the ships of Tarshish using the east wind.

She is like the merchants' ships for she brings her food from afar.

However he must ask in faith, not doubting: for he who doubts is like a surging wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

They were disobedient while the ark was being built. Yet God waited patiently in the days of Noah. But few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.