31 Bible Verses about Seafaring

And the merchants of the earth weep and wail over her, because no longer does any one buy their cargoes-- their cargoes of gold, or silver, or precious stones, or pearls, or fine linen, or purple robes, or silk, or scarlet cloth; nor their many scented woods; nor their many articles of ivory; nor their many articles of choicest wood, or brass, or iron, or marble; nor their cinnamon, or spice, or incense, or perfumes. or frankincense, or wine, or oil, or fine flour, or wheat, or cattle, or sheep; nor their horses, or chariots, or slaves; nor the bodies and souls of men.

Afterwards Jesus got into a boat, and, crossing over, came to his own city.

Barnabas and Saul, sent on this mission, as they were, by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.

When Jesus heard of it, he retired privately in a boat to a lonely spot. The people, however, heard of his going, and followed him in crowds from the towns on foot.

Then, after dismissing the crowds, Jesus got into the boat, and went to the neighborhood of Magadan.

So Jesus told his disciples to keep a small boat close by, for fear the crowd should crush him.

After this, Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and went to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

From there they sailed to Antioch--the place where they had been committed to the gracious care of God for the work which they had now finished.

This caused such unpleasant feeling between them that they parted, Barnabas taking Mark and sailing for Cyprus,

Accordingly we set sail from Troas, and ran before the wind to Samothrace, reaching Neapolis the next day.

Paul remained there some time after this, and then took leave of the Brethren, and sailed to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, but not before his head had been shaved at Cenchreae, because he was under a vow.

As he took his leave, "I will come back again to you, please God," and then set sail from Ephesus.

He was about to sail to Syria, when he learned that a plot had been laid against him by the Jews; so he decided to return by way of Macedonia.

When we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran before the wind to Cos; the next day we came to Rhodes, and from there to Patara, Where we found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, and went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on the left, we sailed to Syria, and put into Tyre, where the ship was to discharge her cargo.

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. 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. 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.read more.
Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us; And, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia. There the Roman Officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her. 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, And with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called 'Fair Havens,' near which was the town of Lasea.

After three months, we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island. She was an Alexandrian vessel, and had the Twin Sons of Zeus for her figure-head. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days, 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.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.

Then he got into the boat, followed by his disciples. Suddenly so great a storm came on upon the Sea, that the waves broke right over the boat. But Jesus was asleep; And the disciples came and roused him. "Master," they cried, "save us; we are lost!"read more.
"Why are you so timid?" he said. "O men of little faith!" Then Jesus rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and a great calm followed. The men were amazed, and exclaimed: "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them: "Let us go across." So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. A violent squall came on, and the waves kept dashing into the boat, so that the boat was actually filling.read more.
Jesus was in the stern asleep upon the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried: "Teacher! is it nothing to you that we are lost?" Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: "Hush! Be still!" Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed. "Why are you so timid?" he exclaimed. "Have you no faith yet?" But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another: "Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

One day about that time, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them: "Let us go across the lake." So they put off. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A squall swept down upon the lake, and their boat was filling and they were in danger. So the disciples came and roused him. "Sir, Sir," they cried, "we are lost!" Jesus rose and rebuked the wind and the rushing waves, and they fell, and a calm followed.read more.
"Where is your faith?" he exclaimed. But in great awe and amazement they said to one another: "Who can this be, that he commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him?" And they reached the country of the Gerasenes, which is on the opposite side to Galilee;

Immediately afterwards Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and cross over in advance of him, while he dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, he went up the hill by himself to pray; and, when evening fell, he was there alone. The boat was by this time some miles from shore, laboring in the waves, for the wind was against her.read more.
Three hours after midnight, however, Jesus came towards the disciples, walking on the water. But, when they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. "It is a ghost," they exclaimed, and cried out for fear. But Jesus at once spoke to them. "Courage!" he said, "It is I; do not be afraid!" "Master," Peter exclaimed, "if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water." And Jesus said: "Come." So Peter got down from the boat, and walked on the water, and went towards Jesus; But, when he felt the wind, he was frightened, and, beginning to sink, cried out: "Master! Save me!" Instantly Jesus stretched out his hand, and caught hold of him. "O man of little faith!" he said, "Why did you falter?" When they had got into the boat, the wind dropped. But the men in the boat threw themselves on their faces before him, and said: "You are indeed God's Son."

Immediately afterwards Jesus made his disciples get into the boat, and cross over in advance, in the direction of Bethsaida, while he himself was dismissing the crowd. After he had taken leave of the people, he went away up the hill to pray. When evening fell, the boat was out in the middle of the Sea, and Jesus on the shore alone.read more.
Seeing them laboring at the oars--for the wind was against them--about three hours after midnight Jesus came towards them, walking on the water, intending to join them. But, when they saw him walking on the water, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; For all of them saw him, and were terrified. But Jesus at once spoke to them. "Courage!" he said, "it is I; do not be afraid!" Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. The disciples were utterly amazed, For they had not understood about the loaves, their minds being slow to learn. When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret, and moored the boat.

When evening fell, his disciples went down to the Sea, And, getting into a boat, began to cross to Capernaum. By this time darkness had set in, and Jesus had not yet come back to them; The Sea, too, was getting rough, for a strong wind was blowing.read more.
When they had rowed three or four miles, they caught sight of him walking on the water and approaching the boat, and they were frightened. But Jesus said to them: "It is I; do not be afraid!" And after this they were glad to take him into the boat; and the boat at once arrived off the shore, for which they had been making.

This had taken a considerable time, and sailing was already dangerous, for the Fast was already over; and so Paul gave this warning. "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." The Roman Officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul.read more.
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. So, when a light wind sprang up from the south, thinking that they had found their opportunity, they weighed anchor and kept along the coast of Crete, close in shore. But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land--a north-easter, as it is called. The ship was caught by it and was unable to keep her head to the wind, so we had to give way and let her drive before it. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we only just managed to secure the ship's boat, And, after hoisting it on board, the men frapped the ship. But, afraid of being driven on to the Syrtis Sands, they lowered the yard, and then drifted. So violently were we tossed about by the storm, that the next day they began throwing the cargo overboard, And, on the following day, threw out the ship's tackle with their own hands. As neither sun nor stars were visible for several days, and, as the gale still continued severe, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said: "My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage. Yet, even as things are, I urge you not to lose courage, for there will not be a single life lost among you--only the ship. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said-- 'Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow-voyagers.' Therefore, courage, my friends! for I believe God, that everything will happen exactly as I have been told. We shall, however, have to be driven on some island." It was now the fourteenth night of the storm, and we were drifting about in the Adriatic Sea, when, about midnight, the sailors began to suspect that they were drawing near land. So they took soundings, and found twenty fathoms of water. After waiting a little, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. Then, as they were afraid of our being driven upon some rocky coast, they let go four anchors from the stern, and longed for daylight. The sailors wanted to leave the ship, and had lowered the boat, on pretense of running out anchors from the bows, When Paul said to the Roman Officer and his men: "Unless the sailors remain on board, you cannot be saved." Upon that the soldiers cut the ropes which held the boat, and let her drift away. In the interval before daybreak Paul kept urging them all to take something to eat. "It is a fortnight to-day," he said, "that, owing to your anxiety, you have gone without food, taking nothing. So I urge you to take something to eat; your safety depends upon it, for not one of you will lose even a hair of his head." With these words he took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving to God before them all, broke it in pieces, and began to eat; And the men all felt cheered and had something to eat themselves. There were about seventy-six of us on board, all told. After satisfying their hunger, they further lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. When daylight came, they could not make out what land it was, but, observing a creek in which there was a beach, they consulted as to whether they could run the ship safely into it. Then they cast off, and abandoned the anchors, and at the same time unlashed the gear of the steering oars, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach. They got, however, into a kind of channel, and there ran the ship aground. The bows stuck fast and could not be moved, while the stern began breaking up under the strain. The advice of the soldiers was that the prisoners should be killed, for fear that any of them should swim away and make their escape. But the Roman Officer, anxious to save Paul, prevented their carrying out their intention, and ordered that those who could swim should be the first to jump into the sea and try to reach the shore; And that the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on different pieces of the ship. In these various ways every one managed to get safely ashore.

In a single hour your vast wealth vanished.' Every ship's captain and all who sail to any port, and sailors, and all who get their living from the sea, stood at a distance, and seeing the smoke from the burning city, cried-- 'What city can compare with the Great City?' They threw dust on their heads, and, as they wept and wailed, they cried-- 'Alas! Alas! Great City! All who have ships on the sea grew rich through her magnificence. In a single hour it has vanished.'

Then we shall no longer be like infants, tossed backward and forward, blown about by every breath of human teaching, through the trickery and the craftiness of men, towards the snares of error;

with faith, and with a clear conscience; and it is because they have thrust this aside, that, as regards the Faith, some have wrecked their lives.

This hope is a very anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it 'reaches into the Sanctuary that lies behind the Curtain,'

Again, think of ships. Large as they are, and even when driven by fierce winds, they are controlled by a very small rudder and steered in whatever direction the man at the helm may determine. So is it with the tongue. Small as it is, it is a great boaster. Think how tiny a spark may set the largest forest ablaze!

But let him ask with confidence, never doubting; for the man who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven hither and thither at the mercy of the wind--

who once were disobedient, at the time when God patiently waited, in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared; in which some few lives, eight in all, were saved by means of water.