Acts 27:1-12 - Paul And His Associates Sail For Rome

¹ As it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were put in charge of a Captain of the Augustan Guard, named Julius. ² We went on board a ship from Adramyttium, which was on the point of sailing to the ports along the coast of Roman Asia, and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us. ³ The next day we put in to Sidon, where Julius treated Paul in a friendly manner, and allowed him to go to see his friends and receive their hospitality. ⁴ Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us; ⁵ And, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. ⁶ There the Roman Officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her. ⁷ For several days our progress was slow, and it was only with difficulty that we arrived off Cnidus. As the wind was still unfavorable when we came off Cape Salmone, we sailed under the lee of Crete, ⁸ And with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called 'Fair Havens,' near which was the town of Lasea.

⁹ This had taken a considerable time, and sailing was already dangerous, for the Fast was already over; and so Paul gave this warning. ¹⁰ "My friends," he said, "I see that this voyage will be attended with injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but to our own lives also." ¹¹ The Roman Officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul. ¹² And, as the harbor was not a suitable one to winter in, the majority were in favor of continuing the voyage, in hope of being able to reach Phoenix, and winter there. Phoenix was a Cretan harbor, open to the north-east and south-east.