Study Desk

When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea,^[g] and in the middle of the night the sailors thought they were approaching land.^[h]

They took a sounding and found it to be 120 feet^[i] deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be 90 feet^[j] deep.

Then, fearing we might run aground in some rocky place, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow.

Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved."

Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.

When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing.

Therefore I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head."^(l)

After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and when he broke it, he began to eat.^(m)

They all became encouraged and took food themselves.

In all there were 276 of us on the ship.⁽ⁿ⁾

When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.

When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could.^(o)

After casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach.

But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves.

The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape.

But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.^(p)