Acts 27:13-38 - A Violent Storm At Sea
13 When a gentle breeze began to blow from the south, they thought they could make it to Phoenix, so they hoisted anchor and began sailing along the shore of Crete. 14 But it was not long before a violent wind (called a northeaster) swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught so that it couldn't face the wind, and we gave up and were swept along. 16 As we drifted to the sheltered side of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the ship's lifeboat. 17 The ship's crew pulled it up on deck and used ropes to brace the ship. Fearing that they would hit the large sandbank near Libya, they lowered the sail and drifted along. 18 The next day, because we were being tossed so violently by the storm, they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day they threw the ship's equipment overboard with their own hands.
20 For a number of days neither the sun nor the stars were to be seen, and the storm continued to rage until at last all hope of our being saved vanished. 21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood among his shipmates and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete. You would have avoided this hardship and damage. 22 But now I urge you to have courage, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship. 23 For just last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by me 24 and said, "Stop being afraid, Paul! You must stand before the emperor. Indeed, God has given to you the lives of everyone who is sailing with you.' 25 So take courage, men, because I trust God that it will turn out just as he told me. 26 However, we will have to run aground on some island."
27 It was the fourteenth night, and we were drifting through the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors suspected that land was near. 28 After taking soundings, they found the depth to be twenty fathoms. A little later, they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and began praying for daylight to come.
30 Meanwhile, the sailors had begun trying to escape from the ship. They lowered the lifeboat into the sea and pretended that they were going to lay out the anchors from the bow. 31 Paul told the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men remain onboard, you cannot be saved." 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and set it adrift.
33 Right up to daybreak Paul kept urging all of them to eat something. He said, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, not eating anything. 34 So I urge you to eat something, for it will help you survive, since none of you will lose so much as a hair from his head." 35 After he said this, he took some bread, thanked God in front of everyone, broke it, and began to eat. 36 Everyone was encouraged and had something to eat. 37 There were 276 of us on the ship. 38 After they had eaten all they wanted, they began to lighten the ship by dumping its cargo of wheat into the sea.