Thematic Bible: The ship is wrecked, and all on board take refuge on the island of melita (malta)


Thematic Bible



But it was not long before a violent wind, which is called a Northeaster, swept down from it. The ship was snatched along by it and since she could not face the wind, we gave up and let her drive. As we passed under the lee of a small island called Cauda, with great difficulty we were able to secure the ship's boat. read more.
After hoisting it on board, they used ropes to brace the ship, and since they were afraid of being stranded on the Syrtis quicksands, they lowered the sail and let her drift. The next day, because we were so violently beaten by the storm, they began to throw the cargo overboard, and on the next day with their own hands they threw the ship's tackle overboard. 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 being saved was now vanishing, After they had gone a long time without any food, then Paul got up among them and said: "Men, you ought to have listened to me and not to have sailed from Crete, and you would have escaped this disaster and loss. Even now I beg you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life, but only of the ship. For just last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by my side and said, "Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before the Emperor; and listen! God has graciously given to you the lives of all who are sailing with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have confidence in my God that it will all come out just as I was told. And yet we must be stranded on some island." It was now the fourteenth night and we were drifting on the Adriatic sea, when at midnight the sailors suspected that land was near. On taking soundings they found a depth of twenty fathoms; and a little later again taking soundings, they found it was fifteen. Since they were afraid of our going on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and kept wishing for daylight to come. Although the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had actually lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to run out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the colonel and his soldiers, "Unless these sailors remain on the ship, you cannot be saved." Then the soldiers cut the ropes that held the boat and let it drift away. Until day was about to break Paul kept begging them all to take something to eat. He said, "For fourteen days today you have been constantly waiting and going without food, not even taking a bite. So I beg you to eat something, for it is necessary for your safety. For not a hair will be lost from the head of a single one of you." After saying this he took some bread and thanked God for it before them all; then he broke it in pieces and began to eat it. Then they all were cheered and took something to eat themselves. There were 276 of us on the ship. When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea. When day broke, they could not recognize the land, but they spied a bay that had a beach, and determined, if possible, to run the ship ashore. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea; at the same time they undid the ropes of the rudders, and hoisting the foresail to the breeze they headed for the beach. But they struck a shoal and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained unmoved, while the stern began to break to pieces under the beating of the waves. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners, to keep any of them from swimming ashore and escaping, but the colonel wanted to save Paul, and so he prevented them from carrying out this plan, and ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on various bits of the ship. And thus they all got safely to land.