1It was decided that we would sail for Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Roman commander named Julius. He belonged to the Imperial Guard.2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium. It was about to sail for ports along the coast of Asia Minor. We headed out to sea. Aristarchus was with us. He was a Macedonian from Thessalonica.3The next day we landed at Sidon. There Julius was kind to Paul. He let Paul visit his friends so they could give him what he needed.4From there we headed out to sea again. We passed the calmer side of Cyprus because the winds were against us.5We sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia. Then we landed at Myra in Lycia.6There the commander found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy. He put us on board.7We moved along slowly for many days. We had trouble getting to Cnidus. The wind did not let us stay on course. So we passed the calmer side of Crete, opposite Salmone.8It was not easy to sail along the coast. Then we came to a place called Fair Havens. It was near the town of Lasea.9A lot of time had passed. Sailing had already become dangerous. By now it was after the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting. So Paul gave them a warning.10‘Men’, he said, ‘I can see that our trip is going to be dangerous. The ship and everything in it will be lost. Our own lives will be in danger also.’11But the commander didn’t listen to what Paul said. Instead, he followed the advice of the pilot and the ship’s owner.12The harbour wasn’t a good place for ships to stay during winter. So most of the people decided we should sail on. They hoped we would reach Phoenix. They wanted to spend the winter there. Phoenix was a harbour in Crete. It faced both southwest and northwest.
The storm
13A gentle south wind began to blow. The ship’s crew thought they saw their chance to leave safely. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.14Before very long, a wind blew down from the island. It had the force of a hurricane. It was called the Northeaster.15The ship was caught by the storm. We could not keep it sailing into the wind. So we gave up and were driven along by the wind.16We passed the calmer side of a small island called Cauda. We almost lost the lifeboat that was tied to the side of the ship.17So the men lifted the lifeboat on board. Then they tied ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. They were afraid it would get stuck on the sandbars of Syrtis. So they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along.18We took a very bad beating from the storm. The next day the crew began to throw the ship’s contents overboard.19On the third day, they even threw the ship’s tools and supplies overboard with their own hands.20The sun and stars didn’t appear for many days. The storm was terrible. So we gave up all hope of being saved.21The men had not eaten for a long time. Paul stood up in front of them. ‘Men’, he said, ‘you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have avoided this harm and loss.22Now I beg you to be brave. Not one of you will die. Only the ship will be destroyed.23I belong to God and serve him. Last night his angel stood beside me.24The angel said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must go on trial in front of Caesar. God has shown his grace by sparing the lives of all those sailing with you.”25Men, continue to be brave. I have faith in God. It will happen just as he told me.26But we must run the ship onto the beach of some island.’
The ship is destroyed
27On the 14th night the wind was still pushing us across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors had a feeling that they were approaching land.28They measured how deep the water was. They found that it was 40 metres deep. A short time later they measured the water again. This time it was 30 metres deep.29They were afraid we would crash against the rocks. So they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship. They prayed that daylight would come.30The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they let the lifeboat down into the sea. They pretended they were going to lower some anchors from the front of the ship.31But Paul spoke to the commander and the soldiers. ‘These men must stay with the ship,’ he said. ‘If they don’t, you can’t be saved.’32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat. They let it drift away.33Just before dawn Paul tried to get them all to eat. ‘For the last 14 days,’ he said, ‘you have wondered what would happen. You have gone without food. You haven’t eaten anything.34Now I am asking you to eat some food. You need it to live. Not one of you will lose a single hair from your head.’35After Paul said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God. He did this where they all could see him. Then he broke it and began to eat.36All of them were filled with hope. So they ate some food.37There were 276 of us on board.38They ate as much as they wanted. They needed to make the ship lighter. So they threw the rest of the corn into the sea.39When daylight came, they saw a bay with a sandy beach. They didn’t recognise the place. But they decided to run the ship onto the beach if they could.40So they cut the anchors loose and left them in the sea. At the same time, they untied the ropes that held the rudders. They lifted the sail at the front of the ship to the wind. Then they headed for the beach.41But the ship hit a sandbar. So the front of it got stuck and wouldn’t move. The back of the ship was broken to pieces by the pounding of the waves.42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners. They wanted to keep them from swimming away and escaping.43But the commander wanted to save Paul’s life. So he kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and swim to land.44The rest were supposed to get there on boards or other pieces of the ship. That is how everyone reached land safely.
Acts 27
Nuova Riveduta 2006
from Società Biblica di Ginevra
Quarto viaggio missionario; Paolo è inviato a Roma
1Quando fu deciso che noi salpassimo per l’Italia, Paolo con altri prigionieri furono consegnati a un centurione, di nome Giulio, della coorte Augusta.2Saliti sopra una nave di Adramitto, che doveva toccare i porti della costa d’Asia, salpammo, avendo con noi Aristarco, un Macedone di Tessalonica.3Il giorno seguente arrivammo a Sidone; e Giulio, usando benevolenza verso Paolo, gli permise di andare dai suoi amici per ricevere le loro cure.4Poi, partiti di là, navigammo al riparo di Cipro, perché i venti erano contrari.5E, attraversato il mare di Cilicia e di Panfilia, arrivammo a Mira di Licia.6Il centurione, trovata qui una nave alessandrina che faceva vela per l’Italia, ci fece salire su quella.7Navigando per molti giorni lentamente, giungemmo a fatica, per l’impedimento del vento, di fronte a Cnido. Poi veleggiammo sotto Creta, al largo di Salmone;8e, costeggiandola con difficoltà, giungemmo a un luogo detto Beiporti, vicino al quale era la città di Lasea.9Intanto era trascorso molto tempo e la navigazione si era fatta pericolosa, poiché anche il giorno del digiuno[1] era passato. Paolo allora li ammonì dicendo:10«Uomini, vedo che la navigazione si farà pericolosa con grave danno, non solo del carico e della nave, ma anche delle nostre persone».11Il centurione però aveva più fiducia nel pilota e nel padrone della nave che non nelle parole di Paolo.12E, siccome quel porto non era adatto a svernare, la maggioranza fu del parere di partire di là per cercare di arrivare a Fenice, un porto di Creta esposto a sud-ovest e a nord-ovest, e di passarvi l’inverno.13Intanto si era alzato un leggero scirocco e, credendo di poter attuare il loro proposito, levarono le ancore e si misero a costeggiare l’isola di Creta più da vicino.
La tempesta
14Ma poco dopo si scatenò giù dall’isola un vento impetuoso, chiamato Euroaquilone;15la nave fu trascinata via e, non potendo resistere al vento, la lasciammo andare ed eravamo portati alla deriva.16Passati rapidamente sotto un’isoletta chiamata Clauda, a stento potemmo impadronirci della scialuppa.17Dopo averla issata a bordo, utilizzavano dei mezzi di rinforzo, cingendo la nave di sotto; e, temendo di finire incagliati nelle Sirti[2], calarono l’àncora galleggiante, e si andava così alla deriva.18Siccome eravamo sbattuti violentemente dalla tempesta, il giorno dopo cominciarono a gettare il carico.19Il terzo giorno, con le loro proprie mani, buttarono in mare l’attrezzatura della nave.20Già da molti giorni non si vedevano né sole né stelle, e sopra di noi infuriava una forte tempesta, sicché ogni speranza di scampare era ormai persa.21Dopo che furono rimasti per lungo tempo senza mangiare, Paolo si alzò in mezzo a loro e disse: «Uomini, bisognava darmi ascolto e non partire da Creta, per evitare questo pericolo e questa perdita.22Ora però vi esorto a stare di buon animo, perché non vi sarà perdita della vita per nessuno di voi ma solo della nave.23Poiché un angelo del Dio al quale appartengo, e che io servo, mi è apparso questa notte,24dicendo: “Paolo, non temere; bisogna che tu compaia davanti a Cesare, ed ecco, Dio ti ha dato tutti quelli che navigano con te”.25Perciò, uomini, state di buon animo, perché ho fede in Dio che avverrà come mi è stato detto.26Dovremo però essere gettati sopra un’isola».27E la quattordicesima notte da che eravamo portati qua e là per l’Adriatico[3], verso la mezzanotte, i marinai sospettavano di essere vicini a terra;28e, calato lo scandaglio, trovarono venti braccia; poi, passati un po’ oltre e scandagliato di nuovo, trovarono quindici braccia.29Temendo allora di urtare contro gli scogli, gettarono da poppa quattro ancore, aspettando con ansia che si facesse giorno.30Ma siccome i marinai cercavano di fuggire dalla nave, e già stavano calando la scialuppa in mare con il pretesto di voler gettare le ancore da prua,31Paolo disse al centurione e ai soldati: «Se costoro non rimangono sulla nave, voi non potete scampare».32Allora i soldati tagliarono le funi della scialuppa e la lasciarono cadere.33Finché non si fece giorno, Paolo esortava tutti a prendere cibo, dicendo: «Oggi sono quattordici giorni che state aspettando, sempre digiuni, senza prendere nulla.34Perciò vi esorto a prendere cibo, perché questo contribuirà alla vostra salvezza; e neppure un capello del vostro capo perirà».35Detto questo, prese del pane e rese grazie a Dio in presenza di tutti; poi lo spezzò e cominciò a mangiare.36E tutti, incoraggiati, presero anch’essi del cibo.37Sulla nave eravamo duecentosettantasei persone in tutto.38E, dopo essersi saziati, alleggerirono la nave, gettando il frumento in mare.
Il naufragio
39Quando fu giorno non riuscivano a riconoscere il paese; ma scorsero un’insenatura con spiaggia e decisero, se possibile, di spingervi la nave.40Staccate le ancore, le lasciarono andare in mare; sciolsero al tempo stesso i legami dei timoni e, alzata la vela maestra al vento, si diressero verso la spiaggia.41Ma essendo incappati in un luogo che aveva il mare dai due lati, vi fecero arenare la nave; e mentre la prua, incagliata, rimaneva immobile, la poppa si sfasciava per la violenza {delle onde}.42Il parere dei soldati era di uccidere i prigionieri perché nessuno fuggisse a nuoto.43Ma il centurione, volendo salvare Paolo, li distolse da quel proposito e ordinò che per primi si gettassero in mare quelli che sapevano nuotare, per giungere a terra,44e poi gli altri, chi sopra tavole e chi su rottami della nave. E così avvenne che tutti giunsero salvi a terra.