1Det var nu afgjort, at vi skulle sejle til Italien, og derfor blev Paulus sammen med en del andre fanger sat under opsyn af en officer ved navn Julius fra den kejserlige hærafdeling.2Vi gik om bord i et skib, der var på vej hjem til Adramyttion og på turen skulle anløbe havne langs Lilleasiens kyst. Aristark fra Thessaloniki var også med os.3Efter en dags sejlads gjorde vi et kort ophold i Sidon. Julius var meget venlig over for Paulus og lod ham gå i land, så han kunne besøge sine venner og nyde godt af deres gæstfrihed.4Da vi skulle sejle videre mod vest, havde vi modvind, og derfor drejede vi i stedet mod nord og sejlede i læ af Cypern.5Vi passerede efterhånden provinserne Kilikien og Pamfylien og lagde ind til byen Myra i Lykien.6Dér fandt officeren et egyptisk skib med hjemsted i Alexandria. Eftersom det skulle til Italien, blev vi alle overført til det skib, og vi sejlede af sted.7-8I flere dage gik det kun langsomt fremad, da vi havde stiv modvind, og med meget besvær nåede vi på højde med Knidos. Her blev vestenvinden os for stærk, så vi drejede mod syd for at komme i læ af Kreta. Da vi havde passeret Kap Salmone på øens østlige spids, sejlede vi med stort besvær vestpå langs kysten og kom endelig til „Gode Havne” i nærheden af byen Lasæa.9På grund af den megen modvind havde vi spildt en masse tid. Det var allerede tiden for efterårsstormene,[1] og en lang sørejse over åbent hav ville være yderst risikabel. Paulus advarede både kaptajnen, styrmanden og Julius.10„Mine herrer,” sagde han, „jeg forudser vanskeligheder. Hvis vi fortsætter rejsen nu, vil det føre til skibbrud med tab af både skibet og lasten. Ja, også menneskeliv vil gå tabt.”11Men Julius foretrak at lytte til styrmanden og kaptajnen frem for Paulus.12Og da den lille havn, vi var i, var uegnet til overvintring, holdt et flertal af besætningen på, at de skulle sejle videre langs kysten til Føniks, der var en havneby på Kreta, som havde indsejling fra sydvest og kunne yde beskyttelse mod storme fra nordvest.[2] Dér kunne de så afvente, at det blev forår.13Da der var en let vind fra syd, så det ud til, at de kunne gennemføre deres plan. De lettede derfor anker og sejlede langs kysten.14Men inden længe slog vejret pludselig om, og der kom en orkan af den slags, som er kendt under navnet „Nordøstorkanen”.15Der var ikke andet at gøre end at lade skibet drive for vinden og blive ført til havs.16En kort tid lå vi i læ bag en lille ø, som hedder Kauda, hvor det med nød og næppe lykkedes os at få skibsjollen hevet indenbords.17Derefter surrede mandskabet tov rundt om skibet og under kølen for at styrke skroget. Da de var bange for at blive blæst helt ned til den nordafrikanske kyst, hvor skibet ville gå på grund på sandbankerne, firede de drivankeret ned.[3] På den måde drev skibet af sted for vinden.18Næste dag var stormen lige voldsom, og besætningen begyndte at kaste skibets last over bord.19Dagen efter kastede de også størstedelen af sejlene og skibsgrejet over bord.20Den frygtelige storm rasede med uformindsket styrke i flere døgn. Vi så hverken sol eller stjerner, og der var ikke længere noget håb om redning.21Ingen havde lyst til at tage føde til sig, men så kaldte Paulus besætningen sammen og sagde: „Folkens! I burde have lyttet til mig og aldrig have sejlet ud fra ‚Gode Havne’. Så havde I sparet os for de tab, vi allerede har lidt.22Men nu beder jeg jer om at fatte nyt mod, for selv om skibet ikke kan reddes, vil ingen komme til at miste livet.23I nat kom der en engel til mig fra den Gud, som jeg tilhører og tjener, og han sagde:24‚Vær ikke bange, Paulus! Det er Guds plan, at du skal stå foran den kejserlige domstol, og Gud vil også nådigt redde alle dem, der er i skibet sammen med dig.’25Da jeg er overbevist om, at det vil ske, som Gud har sagt til mig, skal I være ved godt mod.26Men vi kommer til at strande på en ø.”27Efter at vi i 14 dage havde drevet om i Middelhavet, fik sømændene midt om natten en formodning om, at der måtte være land forude.28De loddede dybden og målte 20 favne[4] vand. Lidt efter loddede de igen og målte 15 favne.29Det betød, at vi meget snart ville nå land, og da søfolkene var bange for, at der var klipper og skær langs kysten, kastede de fire ankre ud fra agterstavnen og bad til, at det snart ville blive lyst.30Besætningsmedlemmerne lagde planer om at rømme skibet. De firede jollen i søen, idet de lod som om, de ville lægge ankre ud fra forstavnen.31Men Paulus sagde til den romerske officer og soldaterne: „Hvis ikke de sømænd bliver om bord, kan I ikke blive reddet.”32Så kappede soldaterne tovene til jollen og lod den drive bort.33Da det første dagslys kunne skimtes, opfordrede Paulus alle til at spise noget. „I har ikke spist i 14 dage,” sagde han.34„I skal sørge for at få noget mad, for det vil hjælpe jer til at blive reddet. Ingen af jer vil miste så meget som et hovedhår.”35Så tog han selv et brød, takkede Gud for øjnene af dem alle, brækkede det i stykker og begyndte at spise.36Alle de andre fik nyt mod og gav sig til at spise.37Vi var 276 mennesker om bord.38Da alle var blevet mætte, smed besætningen alt kornet over bord, for at skibet ikke skulle stikke så dybt.39Da det blev lyst, kunne de se land, men ingen genkendte det. De så, at der var en strandbred ved en bugt, og derfor besluttede de at lade skibet løbe på grund der.40De kappede ankrene og løsnede roret, som havde været surret fast med reb, hejste forsejlet og styrede skibet ind mod strandbredden.41De kom til et sted, hvor to havstrømme mødtes, og dér satte de skibet på grund på en sandbanke. Forstavnen satte sig godt fast og blev stående urokkelig, mens agterskibet efterhånden blev slået i stykker af den voldsomme brænding.42Soldaterne ville slå fangerne ihjel, for at ingen af dem skulle svømme i land og flygte.43Men den romerske officer ville redde Paulus og forhindrede dem i at gøre det. Han gav ordre til, at alle, der kunne svømme, skulle springe over bord først,44og at de øvrige skulle prøve at nå ind til land ved at klamre sig til planker eller vragrester fra skibet. Alle blev på den måde reddet i land i god behold.
1And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. (Ap G 10,1; Ap G 16,10; Ap G 25,12; Ap G 25,25)2And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. (Ap G 19,29)3The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. (Ap G 24,23; Ap G 27,43; Ap G 28,2; Ap G 28,16; Ap G 28,30)4And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.5And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. (Ap G 28,11)7We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.8Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.9Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast[1] was already over, Paul advised them, (3.Mos 16,29; 3.Mos 23,27; 4.Mos 29,7)10saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” (Ap G 27,21)11But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. (Åb 18,17)12And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
The Storm at Sea
13Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore.14But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. (Mark 4,37)15And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.16Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda,[2] we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat.17After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear,[3] and thus they were driven along. (Ap G 27,26; Ap G 27,29)18Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. (Jonas 1,5; Ap G 27,38)19And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.21Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. (Ap G 27,10)22Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. (Ap G 27,25; Ap G 27,36)23For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, (Salm 119,94; Dan 5,23; Dan 6,16; Ap G 8,26; Ap G 18,9; Ap G 23,11; Ap G 24,14; 2.Tim 4,17)24and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ (1.Mos 18,26; 1.Mos 19,21; 1.Mos 19,29; Ez 14,14; Ap G 23,11)25So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.26But we must run aground on some island.” (Ap G 27,17; Ap G 27,29; Ap G 28,1)27When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land.28So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.[4] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.[5]29And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. (Ap G 27,17; Ap G 27,26)30And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, (Ap G 27,16)31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.33As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing.34Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,[6] for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” (1.Sam 14,45; 2.Sam 14,11; 1.Kong 1,52; Matt 10,30; Luk 21,18)35And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. (Matt 15,36)36Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (Ap G 27,22)37(We were in all 276[7] persons in the ship.) (Ap G 2,41; Ap G 7,14; Rom 13,1; 1.Pet 3,20)38And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. (Ap G 27,18)
The Shipwreck
39Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. (Ap G 28,1)40So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach.41But striking a reef,[8] they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. (2.Kor 11,25)42The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. (Ap G 12,19)43But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, (Ap G 27,3)44and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land. (Ap G 27,22)