One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 292
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.G1161G5613G2919G2248G636G1519G2482G3860G5037G3972G2532G5100G2087G1202G3686G2457G1543G4575G4686 2Aristarchus, 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.G1161G1910G4143G98G321G3195G4126G2596G5117G773G708G3110G2331G5607G4862G2254 3The 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.G5037G2087G2609G1519G4605G5037G2457G5364G5530G3972G2010G4198G4314G5384G5177G1958 4Putting 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.G2547G321G2547G5284G2954G1223G417G1511G1727 5Keeping to the open sea, we passed along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.G5037G1277G3989G2596G2791G2532G3828G2718G1519G3460G3073 6There the commanding officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board.G2546G1543G2147G4143G222G4126G1519G2482G1688G2248G1519G846 7We 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.G1161G1020G1722G2425G2250G2532G3433G1096G2596G2834G417G3361G4330G2248G5284G2914G2596G4534 8We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.G5037G3433G3881G846G2064G1519G5100G5117G2564G2570G2568G3040G1451G3739G2258G4172G2996 9We 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.G1161G2425G5550G1230G2532G4144G5607G2235G2000G1223G3521G3928G2532G2235G3928G3972G3867 10"Men," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well."G3004G846G435G2334G3754G4144G3195G1510G3326G5196G2532G4183G2209G3756G3440G5414G2532G4143G235G2532G2257G5590 11But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul.G1161G1543G3982G2942G2532G3490G3123G2228G3004G5259G3972 12And 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 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.G1161G3558G5285G1380G2902G4286G142G3881G788G2914 14But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a "northeaster") burst across the island and blew us out to sea.G1161G3756G4183G3326G906G2596G846G5189G417G2564G2148 15The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.G1161G4143G4884G2532G1410G3361G503G417G1929G5342 16We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us.G1161G5295G5100G3519G2564G2802G2480G3433G2480G4031G1096G4627 17Then 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.G3739G142G5530G996G5269G4143G5037G5399G3361G1601G1519G4950G5465G4632G3779G5342 18The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard.G1161G2257G4971G5492G1836G1546G4160 19The following day they even took some of the ship's gear and threw it overboard.G2532G5154G4496G849G4631G4143 20The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.G1161G3383G2246G3383G798G1909G4119G2250G2014G5037G3756G3641G5494G1945G3956G1680G2248G4982G4014G3063G4014 21No 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.G1161G5225G4183G776G5119G3972G2476G1722G3319G846G2036G5599G435G1163G3303G3980G3427G3361G321G575G2914G5037G2770G5026G5196G2532G2209 22But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.G2532G3569G3867G5209G2114G1063G2071G3762G580G5590G1537G5216G4133G4143 23For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,G1063G3936G3427G5026G3571G32G2316G3739G1510G2532G3739G3000 24and 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.'G3004G5399G3361G3972G4571G1163G3936G2541G2532G2400G2316G5483G4671G3956G4126G3326G4675 25So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.G1352G435G2114G1063G4100G2316G3754G3779G2071G2596G3739G5158G2980G3427 26But we will be shipwrecked on an island."G1161G2248G1163G1601G1519G5100G3520 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.G1161G5613G5065G3571G1096G2257G1308G1722G99G2596G3319G3571G3492G5282G846G4317G5100G5561 28They 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.G2532G1001G2147G1501G3712G1161G1339G1024G1001G3825G2532G2147G1178G3712 29At 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.G5037G5399G3381G4458G1601G1601G1519G5117G5138G4496G5064G45G1537G4403G2172G1096G2250 30Then 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.G1161G3492G2212G5343G1537G4143G2532G5465G4627G1519G2281G4392G5613G3195G1614G45G1537G4408 31But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard."G3972G2036G1543G2532G4757G3362G3778G3306G1722G4143G5210G3756G1410G4982 32So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.G5119G4757G609G4979G4627G2532G1439G846G1601 33Just 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.G1161G891G3739G2250G1096G3195G3972G3870G537G3335G5160G3004G4594G5065G2250G4328G1300G777G4355G3367 34"Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish."G1352G3870G5209G4355G5160G1063G5124G5225G4314G5212G4991G1063G4098G3762G2359G4098G1537G2776G3762G5216 35Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.G1161G5023G2036G2532G2983G740G2168G2316G1799G3956G2532G2806G756G2068 36Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat—G1161G1096G846G1096G3956G2115G4355G2532G4355G5160 37all 276 of us who were on board.G1161G2258G3956G1722G4143G1250G1440G1803G5590 38After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.G1161G5160G2880G2893G4143G1544G4621G1519G2281 39When 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.G1161G3753G1096G2250G1921G3756G1093G1161G2657G5100G2859G2192G123G1519G3739G1011G1487G1410G1856G4143 40So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore.G2532G4014G45G1439G1519G2281G260G447G4079G2202G2532G1869G736G4154G2722G1519G123 41But 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.G1161G4045G1519G5117G1337G2027G3491G2027G2532G4408G3303G2043G3306G761G1161G4403G3089G5259G970G2949 42The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape.G1161G4757G1012G1096G2443G615G1202G3361G5100G1579G1309 43But 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.G1161G1543G1014G1295G3972G2967G846G1013G5037G2753G1410G2860G641G4413G1826G1909G1093 44The others held onto planks or debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore.G2532G3062G3739G3303G1909G4548G1161G3739G1909G575G4143G5100G2532G3779G1096G1295G3956G1295G1909G1093
28Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta.G2532G1295G5119G1921G3754G3520G2564G3194 2The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.G1161G915G3930G2254G3756G5177G5363G1063G381G4443G4355G2248G3956G1223G2186G5205G2532G1223G5592 3As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand.G1161G3972G4962G4128G5434G2532G2007G1909G4443G1831G2191G1537G2329G2510G846G5495 4The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, "A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live."G1161G5613G915G1492G2342G2910G1537G846G5495G3004G4314G240G3843G3778G444G2076G5406G3739G1295G1537G2281G1349G1439G3756G2198 5But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.G3303G3767G660G2342G1519G4442G3958G3762G2556 6The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn't harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.G1161G4328G846G3195G4092G2228G2667G3498G869G1161G846G4328G1909G4183G2532G2334G3367G824G1096G1519G846G3328G3004G846G1511G2316 7Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days.G1161G1722G4012G1565G5117G5225G5564G4413G3520G3686G4196G3739G324G2248G3579G5140G2250G5390 8As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him.G1161G1096G3962G4196G2621G4912G4446G2532G1420G4314G3739G3972G1525G2532G4336G2007G5495G2007G846G2390G846 9Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.G3767G1096G5127G1096G3062G2532G3588G2192G769G1722G3520G4334G2532G2323 10As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.G3739G2532G5092G2248G4183G5091G2532G321G2007G4314G5532 11It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead.G1161G3326G5140G3376G321G1722G4143G222G3914G1722G3520G3902G1359 12Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days.G2532G2609G1519G4946G1961G5140G2250 13From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli.G3606G4022G2658G1519G4484G2532G3326G3391G2250G3558G1920G2064G1206G1519G4223 14There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.G3757G2147G80G3870G1961G1909G846G2033G2250G2532G3779G2064G1519G4516 15The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.G2547G80G191G4012G2257G1831G529G1519G2254G891G675G5410G2532G5140G4999G3739G3972G1492G2168G2316G2983G2294 16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.G1161G3753G2064G1519G4516G1543G3860G1198G4759G1161G3972G2010G3306G2596G1438G4862G4757G5442G846 17Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, "Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors.G1161G1096G3326G5140G2250G3972G4779G4413G5607G2453G4779G1161G846G4905G3004G4314G846G435G80G1473G4160G3762G1727G2992G2228G1485G3971G3860G1198G1537G2414G1519G5495G4514 18The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence.G3748G350G3165G1014G630G1223G5225G3367G156G2288G1722G1698 19But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people.G1161G2453G483G315G1941G2541G3756G5613G2192G5100G2723G3450G1484G2723 20I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come."G1223G5026G156G3767G3870G5209G1492G2532G4354G1752G1063G1680G2474G4029G5026G254 21They replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here.G1161G2036G4314G846G2249G3777G1209G1121G575G2449G4012G4675G3777G5100G80G3854G518G2228G2980G5100G4190G4012G4675 22But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere."G1161G515G191G3844G4675G3739G5426G1063G4012G3303G5026G139G2254G2076G1110G3754G3837G483 23So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening.G1161G5021G846G2250G2240G4119G4314G846G1519G3578G3739G1620G1263G932G2316G5037G3982G846G4012G2424G5037G575G3551G3475G2532G4396G575G4404G2193G2073 24Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.G2532G3303G3982G3004G1161G569 25And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,G1161G800G5607G4314G240G630G3972G2036G1520G4487G3754G2573G2980G40G4151G1223G2268G4396G4314G2257G3962 26'Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.G3004G4198G4314G5126G2992G2532G2036G189G191G2532G4920G3364G4920G2532G991G991G2532G3364G1492 27For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'G1063G2588G5127G2992G3975G2532G3775G917G191G2532G846G3788G2576G3379G1492G3788G2532G191G3775G2532G4920G2588G2532G1994G2532G2390G846 28So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."G2077G1110G3767G5213G3754G4992G2316G649G1484G2532G191G846 29G2532G846G2036G5023G2453G565G2192G4183G4803G1722G1438 30For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him,G1161G3972G3306G1333G3650G1333G1722G2398G3410G2532G588G3956G1531G4314G846 31boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.G2784G932G2316G2532G1321G4012G2962G2424G5547G3326G3956G3954G209
132[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.] Lord, remember David and all that he suffered.H7892H4609H3068H2142H1732H6031 2He made a solemn promise to the Lord. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,H7650H3068H5087H46H3290 3“I will not go home; I will not let myself rest.H935H168H1004H5927H6210H3326 4I will not let my eyes sleep nor close my eyelids in slumberH5414H8153H5869H8572H6079 5until I find a place to build a house for the Lord, a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”H4672H4725H3068H4908H46H3290 6We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.H8085H672H4672H7704H3293 7Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne.H935H4908H7812H1916H7272 8Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power.H6965H3068H4496H727H5797 9May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing for joy.H3548H3847H6664H2623H7442 10For the sake of your servant David, do not reject the king you have anointed.H5650H1732H7725H6440H4899 11The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back. “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.H3068H7650H571H1732H7725H6529H990H7896H3678 12If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever.”H1121H8104H1285H5713H2090H2097H3925H1121H3427H3678H5703 13For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home.H3068H977H6726H183H4186 14“This is my resting place forever,” he said. “I will live here, for this is the home I desired.H4496H5703H3427H183 15I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food.H1288H1288H6718H7646H34H3899 16I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy.H3847H3548H3468H2623H7442H7444 17Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people.H6779H7161H1732H6779H6186H5216H4899 18I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a glorious king.”H341H3847H1322H5145H6692
named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.G1161
