Bible Verses About Paul

Since much time had been lost, and continuing the voyage was risky, because it was already past Yom-Kippur, Sha’ul advised them,

“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be a catastrophe, not only with huge losses to the cargo and the ship but with loss of our lives as well.”

However, the officer paid more attention to the pilot and the ship’s owner than to what Sha’ul said.

Moreover, since the harbor was not well suited to sitting out the winter, the majority reached the decision to sail on from there in the hope of reaching Phoenix, another harbor in Crete, and wintering there, where it is protected from the southwest and northwest winds.

When a gentle southerly breeze began to blow, they thought that they had their goal within grasp; so they raised the anchor and started coasting by Crete close to shore.

But before long there struck us from land a full gale from the northeast, the kind they call an Evrakilon.

The ship was caught up and unable to face the wind, so we gave way to it and were driven along.

As we passed into the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with strenuous effort to get control of the lifeboat.

They hoisted it aboard, then fastened cables tightly around the ship itself to reinforce it. Fearing they might run aground on the Syrtis sandbars, they lowered the topsails and thus continued drifting.

But because we were fighting such heavy weather, the next day they began to jettison non-essentials;

and the third day, they threw the ship’s sailing equipment overboard with their own hands.

For many days neither the sun nor the stars appeared, while the storm continued to rage, until gradually all hope of survival vanished.

It was then, when they had gone a long time without eating, that Sha’ul stood up in front of them and said, “You should have listened to me and not set out from Crete; if you had, you would have escaped this disastrous loss.

But now, my advice to you is to take heart; because not one of you will lose his life — only the ship will be lost.

For this very night, there stood next to me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.

He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Sha’ul! you have to stand before the Emperor. Look! God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’

So, men, take heart! For I trust God and believe that what I have been told will come true.

Nevertheless, we have to run aground on some island.”

It was the fourteenth night, and we were still being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, when around midnight the sailors sensed that we were nearing land.

So they dropped a plumbline and found the water one hundred and twenty feet deep. A little farther on, they took another sounding and found it ninety feet.

Fearing we might run on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

At this point, the crew made an attempt to abandon ship — they lowered the lifeboat into the sea, pretending that they were about to let out some anchors from the bow.

Sha’ul said to the officer and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain aboard the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.”

Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the lifeboat and let it go.

Just before daybreak, Sha’ul urged them all to eat, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense, going hungry, eating nothing.