24 The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul! You must stand before Caesar! Indeed, God has also graciously given you everyone sailing with you.’
25 Be encouraged, men! I have faith in God that it will be exactly as he told me.
26 However, we must run aground on some island."
27 On the fourteenth night, we were being carried across the Adriatic Sea. Around midnight the sailors began to suspect that land was near.
28 They dropped a weighted line to take soundings and found the water to be about one hundred twenty feet deep. After proceeding a little farther, we took soundings again and found the water to be about ninety feet deep.
29 Afraid that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they hurled out four anchors from the stern and began to pray for daylight.
30 The sailors tried to abandon the ship by lowering the lifeboat into the sea, pretending they were going to lower anchors from the bow.