Acts 27:9 - Prayer Tents

Paul Sails for Rome

27When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer

named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.G1161G5613G2919G2248G636G1519G2482G3860G5037G3972G2532G5100G2087G1202G3686G2457G1543G4575G46862Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a ship whose home port was Adramyttium on the northwest coast of the province of Asia

; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province.G1161G1910G4143G98G321G3195G4126G2596G5117G773G708G3110G2331G5607G4862G22543The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs.G5037G2087G2609G1519G4605G5037G2457G5364G5530G3972G2010G4198G4314G5384G5177G19584Putting out to sea from there, we encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.G2547G321G2547G5284G2954G1223G417G1511G17275Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.G5037G1277G3989G2596G2791G2532G3828G2718G1519G3460G30736There the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board.G2546G1543G2147G4143G222G4126G1519G2482G1688G2248G1519G8467We had several days of slow sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed across to Crete and along the sheltered coast of the island, past the cape of Salmone.G1161G1020G1722G2425G2250G2532G3433G1096G2596G2834G417G3361G4330G2248G5284G2914G2596G45348We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.G5037G3433G3881G846G2064G1519G5100G5117G2564G2570G2568G3040G1451G3739G2258G4172G29969We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall

, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it.G1161G2425G5550G1230G2532G4144G5607G2235G2000G1223G3521G3928G2532G2235G3928G3972G386710"Men," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well."G3004G846G435G2334G3754G4144G3195G1510G3326G5196G2532G4183G2209G3756G3440G5414G2532G4143G235G2532G2257G559011But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul.G1161G1543G3982G2942G2532G3490G3123G2228G3004G5259G397212And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.G1161G5225G3040G5225G428G4314G3915G4119G1012G5087G321G2547G1513G4458G1410G2658G1519G5405G3914G3040G2914G991G2596G3047G2532G2596G5566

The Storm at Sea

13When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete.G1161G3558G5285G1380G2902G4286G142G3881G788G291414But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") burst across the island and blew us out to sea.G1161G3756G4183G3326G906G2596G846G5189G417G2564G214815The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.G1161G4143G4884G2532G1410G3361G503G417G1929G534216We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda

, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us.G1161G5295G5100G3519G2564G2802G2480G3433G2480G4031G1096G462717Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.G3739G142G5530G996G5269G4143G5037G5399G3361G1601G1519G4950G5465G4632G3779G534218The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard.G1161G2257G4971G5492G1836G1546G416019The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard.G2532G5154G4496G849G4631G414320The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.G1161G3383G2246G3383G798G1909G4119G2250G2014G5037G3756G3641G5494G1945G3956G1680G2248G4982G4014G3063G401421No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.G1161G5225G4183G776G5119G3972G2476G1722G3319G846G2036G5599G435G1163G3303G3980G3427G3361G321G575G2914G5037G2770G5026G5196G2532G220922But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.G2532G3569G3867G5209G2114G1063G2071G3762G580G5590G1537G5216G4133G414323For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,G1063G3936G3427G5026G3571G32G2316G3739G1510G2532G3739G300024and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.'G3004G5399G3361G3972G4571G1163G3936G2541G2532G2400G2316G5483G4671G3956G4126G3326G467525So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.G1352G435G2114G1063G4100G2316G3754G3779G2071G2596G3739G5158G2980G342726But we will be shipwrecked on an island."G1161G2248G1163G1601G1519G5100G3520

The Shipwreck

27About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria

, the sailors sensed land was near.G1161G5613G5065G3571G1096G2257G1308G1722G99G2596G3319G3571G3492G5282G846G4317G5100G556128They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep

.G2532G1001G2147G1501G3712G1161G1339G1024G1001G3825G2532G2147G1178G371229At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.G5037G5399G3381G4458G1601G1601G1519G5117G5138G4496G5064G45G1537G4403G2172G1096G225030Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship.G1161G3492G2212G5343G1537G4143G2532G5465G4627G1519G2281G4392G5613G3195G1614G45G1537G440831But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard."G3972G2036G1543G2532G4757G3362G3778G3306G1722G4143G5210G3756G1410G498232So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.G5119G4757G609G4979G4627G2532G1439G846G160133Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. "You have been so worried that you haven't touched food for two weeks," he said.G1161G891G3739G2250G1096G3195G3972G3870G537G3335G5160G3004G4594G5065G2250G4328G1300G777G4355G336734"Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish."G1352G3870G5209G4355G5160G1063G5124G5225G4314G5212G4991G1063G4098G3762G2359G4098G1537G2776G3762G521635Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.G1161G5023G2036G2532G2983G740G2168G2316G1799G3956G2532G2806G756G206836Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat—G1161G1096G846G1096G3956G2115G4355G2532G4355G516037all 276 of us who were on board.G1161G2258G3956G1722G4143G1250G1440G1803G559038After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.G1161G5160G2880G2893G4143G1544G4621G1519G228139When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground.G1161G3753G1096G2250G1921G3756G1093G1161G2657G5100G2859G2192G123G1519G3739G1011G1487G1410G1856G414340So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore.G2532G4014G45G1439G1519G2281G260G447G4079G2202G2532G1869G736G4154G2722G1519G12341But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.G1161G4045G1519G5117G1337G2027G3491G2027G2532G4408G3303G2043G3306G761G1161G4403G3089G5259G970G294942The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape.G1161G4757G1012G1096G2443G615G1202G3361G5100G1579G130943But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land.G1161G1543G1014G1295G3972G2967G846G1013G5037G2753G1410G2860G641G4413G1826G1909G109344The others held onto planks or debris from the broken ship

. So everyone escaped safely to shore.G2532G3062G3739G3303G1909G4548G1161G3739G1909G575G4143G5100G2532G3779G1096G1295G3956G1295G1909G1093