1 And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Sha’ul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a captain of the Augustan regiment.
2 And having embarked in a ship from Adramyttium, about to sail along the coasts of Asia, did set sail. Aristarchos, a Makedonian of Thessalonike, was with us.
3 And on the next day we landed at Tsiḏon. And Julius treated Sha’ul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive attention.
4 And from there we put out to sea and sailed close to Cyprus, because the winds were against us.
5 And having sailed over the sea along Kilikia and Pamphulia, we came to Mura, of Lukia.
6 And there the captain, having found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, did put us on board.
7 And having sailed slowly many days, and arriving with difficulty off Knidos, the wind not allowing us to proceed, we sailed close to Crete, off Salmone.
8 And passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
9 And much time having passed, and the sailing now being dangerous, because the Fast was already over, Sha’ul advised them,
10 saying, “Men, I see that this voyage is going to end with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”
11 But the captain was persuaded by the pilot and the owner of the ship, rather than what Sha’ul said.
12 And because the harbour was unsuitable to winter in, the greater part advised to set sail from there too, if somehow they were able to reach Phoenix, a harbour of Crete facing southwest and northwest, to pass the winter.
13 And a south wind blowing softly, thinking they had obtained their purpose, having lifted anchor, they sailed along Crete, close inshore.
14 And not long after, a stormy head wind rushed down from it, called Northeaster.
15 And when the ship was caught in it, and unable to head against the wind, we let her go and were driven.
16 And having run under a small island called Klauda, we were hardly able to control the small boat.
17 And having hoisted it, they used helps to undergird the ship. And fearing lest they should run aground on Surtis, they lowered the tackle and so were driven.
18 And because we were exceedingly storm-tossed, the next day they began to throw overboard.
19 And on the third day we threw out the ship’s tackle with our own hands.
20 When, now, neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm beat on us, all expectancy that we would be saved was taken away.
21 And when there had been a long abstinence from food, then Sha’ul, standing in the midst of them, said, “Truly, men, you should have listened to me not to have sailed from Crete and sustained this damage and loss.
22 “And now I urge you to take courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 “For tonight a messenger of the Elohim to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by me,
24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Sha’ul, you have to be brought before Caesar. And look, Elohim has favourably given you all those who sail with you.’
25 “Therefore take courage, men, for I believe Elohim that it shall be according to the way it was spoken to me.
26 “However, we need to run aground on some island.”
27 And when the fourteenth night came, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were drawing near some land.
28 So, taking soundings, they found it to be twenty fathoms. And a little farther on they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.
29 And, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and were praying for day to come.
30 But when the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under pretence of going to cast out anchors from the prow,
31 Sha’ul said to the captain and the soldiers, “If these do not remain in the ship, it is impossible for you to be saved.”
32 Then the soldiers did cut the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.
33 And when day was about to come, Sha’ul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have continued without food, and eaten none at all.
34 “So I urge you to take food, for this concerns your safety, since not a hair shall fall from the head of any of you.”
35 And having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to Elohim in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it he began to eat.
36 And they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.
37 And all of us were two hundred and seventy-six beings in the ship.
38 And being satisfied with food, they were lightening the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
39 And when day came, they did not recognise the land, but they noted a certain bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible.
40 And having cast off the anchors, they left them in the sea, meanwhile untying the rudder ropes. And they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach.
41 But coming upon a place where two seas met, they grounded the ship, and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was broken by the pounding of the surf.
42 And the soldiers intended to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.
43 But the captain, intending to save Sha’ul, kept them from their intention, and commanded those able to swim to jump first and get to land,
44 and the rest, some indeed on boards, and some on items of the ship. And so it came to be that all reached the land in safety.