After they had gone a long time without food [because of seasickness and stress], Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice and should not have set sail from Crete, and brought on this damage and loss.

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the emperor, and see! God has given you the lives of all the people who are on the ship with you.'

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in the'sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some country:

So they took soundings [using a weighted line] and found [the depth to be] twenty fathoms (120 feet); and a little farther on they sounded again and found [the depth to be] fifteen fathoms (90 feet).

So, fearing the possibility of being run aground on a rocky shore, they dropped four anchors from the stern and longed for daylight [to come].

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away.

So I urge you to eat some food, for this is for your survival; for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.”

When he had so said and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God before them all, and broke it and began to eat.

So they all were encouraged and partook of food themselves.

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, and they decided to run the ship ashore there if they could.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

But coming to a place where two seas met, they stranded the ship, and her bow sticking fast remained immovable, while the stern began to go to pieces under the heavy hammering of the sea.

The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape.

But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they started a bonfire and invited us to join them around it.

Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put it on the fire. A poisonous snake was forced out by the heat and attached itself to Paul's hand.

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on him healed him.

So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

They also honored us with many honors, and [when we] were putting out to sea, they gave [us] the [things] {we needed}.

Now after three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian [one] {with the twin gods Castor and Pollux as its insignia}.

And from there we worked to windward and so got to Rhegium. A day later a south wind sprang up and took us to Puteoli in two days.

Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

And it came to pass, after three days, that he called together those who were the chief of the Jews; and, when they came together, he began to say unto them - I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, as a prisoner, out of Jerusalem, was delivered into the hands of the Romans;

But when the Jews made protest against it, I had to put my cause into Caesar's hands; not because I have anything to say against my nation.

For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

And they said to him, We have not had letters from Judaea about you, and no one of the brothers has come to us here to give an account or say any evil about you.

When they had set a day for Paul, they came to his lodging in large numbers. And he carefully explained [Christianity] to them from morning until evening, solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the [writings of the] Prophets.

So being in disagreement with one another, they began to leave [after] Paul made one statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through the prophet Isaiah to your fathers,

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Therefore let it be known to you that [this message of] the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they indeed will listen!”

So he stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and welcomed all who came to him,

Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ without fear, and no orders were given that he was not to do so.

Paul, bondman of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated to God's glad tidings,

concerning his Son (come of David's seed according to flesh,

proved to be God's Son in power by the resurrection from the dead -- I mean, Jesus Christ, our Lord,

through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;

among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ's:

[I am writing] to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called to be saints (God’s people) and set apart for a sanctified life, [that is, set apart for God and His purpose]: Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

For my witness is God, whom I serve in my spirit in the good news of his Son, so that continually I make mention of you, always supplicating in my prayers;

in my prayers; always pleading that somehow, by God’s will, I may now at last come to you.

For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

that is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

Now I don't desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

For I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God's power to salvation, to every one that believes, both to Jew first and to Greek:

For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth,

This is so, because what can be known about God is plain to them; for God himself has made it plain.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

because, although they once knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give Him thanks, but became silly in their senseless speculations, and so their insensible hearts have been shrouded in darkness.

Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.

because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

That, I say, is why God abandoned them to degrading passions. Even the women among them perverted the natural use of their bodies to the unnatural;

And men did the same thing, leaving the natural function [i.e., of sex] with women, and burning in their desire for each other. Men committed indecent [sexual] acts with other men [i.e., homosexuality], and [so] brought on themselves the penalty they deserved for this perversion.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,

Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.

So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.

We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.

But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment and elude His verdict?

Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?

But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will repay every person for what he has done. [See Psa. 62:12].

that is to say: praise, honour, and immortality, to them which continue in good doing, and seek eternal life.

For God pays no attention to this world's distinctions.

For so many as sinned without law will also perish without law; and so many as sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;

For it is not merely those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who follow the Law, who will be justified.

So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.

on the day when God will judge the secrets of men's lives by Jesus Christ, as declared in the Good News as I have taught it.

You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob [pagan] temples [of valuable idols and offerings]?

You who make your boast in the Law, do you offend against its commands and so dishonour God?

As it is written, "God's name is being blasphemed among the gentiles because of you."

So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded [by God] as circumcision?

So, will not those physically uncircumcised people [i.e., the Gentiles], who obey the law, condemn you [Jews] for breaking the law, even though you have the written code and [practice] circumcision?

For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh;

but he is a Jew who is so inwardly; and circumcision, of the heart, in spirit, not in letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

The privilege is great from every point of view. First of all, because the Jews were entrusted with God's truth.

What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness?

Far be the thought: but let God be true, and every man false; according as it is written, So that thou shouldest be justified in thy words, and shouldest overcome when thou art in judgment.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world?

But [as you might say] if through my lie God’s truth was magnified and abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

What say we then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise. For we have already proved how that both Jews and gentiles are all under sin,

as it is written [Psa. 14:1ff; 53:1ff], "No one [always] does what is right; not even one person.

They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one:

[Psa. 5:9 says], "Their throats are like open graves [i.e., they are foul-mouthed]. They have spoken deceitfully." [Psa. 90:3 says], "There is snake venom under their lips [i.e., their words are deadly]."

[Psa. 10:7 says], "Their speech is full of cursing and bitterness."

[Psa. 36:1 says], "They do not view God with reverence."

Now we know that whatever the Law [of Moses] says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the excuses of] every mouth may be silenced [from protesting] and that all the world may be held accountable to God [and subject to His judgment].