Atos 27
Men da det var besluttet, at vi skulde afsejle til Italien, overgave de både Paulus og nogle andre Fanger til en Høvedsmand ved Navn Julius af den kejserlige Afdeling.
Vi gik da om Bord på et adramyttisk Skib, som skulde gå til Stederne langs med Asiens Kyster, og vi sejlede af Sted; og Aristarkus, en Makedonier fra Thessalonika, var med os.
Og den næste Dag anløb vi Sidon. Og Julius, som behandlede Paulus venligt. tilstedte ham at gå hen til sine Venner og nyde Pleje.
Og vi fore bort derfra og sejlede ind under Kypern, fordi Vinden var imod.
Og vi sejlede igennem Farvandet ved Kilikien og Pamfylien og kom til Myra i Lykien.
Og der fandt Høvedsmanden et aleksandrinsk Skib, som sejlede til Italien, og bragte os over i det.
Men da Sejladsen i mange Dage gik langsomt, og vi med Nød og næppe nåede henimod Knidus (thi Vinden føjede os ikke), holdt vi ned under Kreta ved Salmone.
Men da en rum Tid var forløben, og Sejladsen allerede var farlig, såsom endog Fasten allerede var forbi, formanede Paulus dem og sagde:
I Mænd! jeg ser, at Sejladsen vil medføre Ulykke og megen Skade, ikke alene på Ladning og Skib, men også på vort Liv.
Men Høvedsmanden stolede mere på Styrmanden og Skipperen end på det, som Paulus sagde.
Og da Havnen ikke egnede sig til Vinterleje, besluttede de fleste, at man skulde sejle derfra, om man muligt kunde nå hen og overvintre i Føniks, en Havn på Kreta, som vender imod Sydvest og Nordvest,
Da der nu blæste en Sønden: vind op, mente de at have nået deres Hensigt, lettede Anker og sejlede langs med og nærmere ind under Kreta.
Og da Skibet reves med og ikke kunde holde op imod Vinden, opgave vi det og lode os drive.
Men da vi løb ind under en lille Ø, som kaldes Klavde, formåede vi med Nød og næppe at bjærge Båden.
Men efter at have trukket den op, anvendte de Nødmidler og omsurrede Skibet; og da de frygtede for, at de skulde blive kastede ned i Syrten, firede de Sejlene ned og lode sig således drive.
Og da vi måtte kæmpe hårdt med Stormen, begyndte de næste Dag at kaste over Bord.
Og på den tredje Dag udkastede de med egne Hænder Skibets Redskaber.
Men da hverken Sol eller Stjerner lode sig se i flere Dage, og vi havde et Uvejr over os; som ikke var ringe, blev fra nu af alt Håb om Redning os betaget.
Og nu formaner jeg eder til at være ved godt Mod; thi ingen Sjæl af eder skal forgå, men alene Skibet.
Thi i denne Nat stod der en Engel hos mig fra den Gud, hvem jeg tilhører, hvem jeg også tjener, og sagde:
Frygt ikke, Paulus! du skal blive stillet for Kejseren; og se,Gud har skænket dig alle dem, som sejle med dig.
Derfor, I Mænd! værer ved godt Mod; thi jeg har den Tillid til Gud, at det skal ske således, som der er blevet talt til mig.
Men da den fjortende Nat kom, og vi dreve i det adriatiske Hav, kom det Skibsfolkene for ved Midnatstid, at der var Land i Nærheden.
Og da de loddede, fik de tyve Favne, og da de lidt længere fremme atter loddede, fik de femten Favne.
Og da de frygtede, at vi skulde støde på Skær, kastede de fire Ankre ud fra Bagstavnen og bade til, at det måtte blive Dag.
Men da Skibsfolkene gjorde Forsøg på at flygte fra Skibet og firede Båden ned i Søen under Påskud af, at de vilde lægge Ankre ud fra Forstavnen,
Da kappede Stridsmændene Bådens Tove og lode den falde ned.
Men da han havde sagt dette, tog han Brød og takkede Gud for alles Øjne og brød det og begyndte at spise.
Da bleve de alle frimodige og toge også Næring til sig.
Men vi vare i Skibet i alt to Hundrede og seks og halvfjerdsindstyve Sjæle.
Og da de vare blevne mættede med Føde, lettede de Skibet ved at kaste Levnedsmidlerne i Søen.
Men da det blev Dag, kendte de ikke Landet; men de bemærkede en Vig med en Forstrand, som de besluttede, om muligt, at sætte Skibet ind på.
Og de kappede Ankrene, som de lode blive i Søen, og løste tillige Rortovene, og idet de satte Råsejlet til for Vinden, holdt de ind på Strandbredden.
Men de stødte på en Grund med dybt Vand på begge Sider, og der satte de Skibet, og Forstavnen borede sig fast og stod urokkelig, men Bagstavnen sloges sønder af Bølgernes Magt.
Det var nu Stridsmændenes Råd, at man skulde ihjelslå Fangerne, for at ingen skulde svømme bort og undkomme.
Men Høvedsmanden, som vilde frelse Paulus, forhindrede dem i dette Forehavende og bød, at de, som kunde svømme, skulde først kaste sig ud og slippe i Land,
og de andre bjærge sig, nogle på Brædder, andre på Stykker af Skibet. Og således skete det, at alle bleve reddede i Land.
And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto {one} named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; {one} Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
And the next {day} we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave {him} liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, {a city} of Lycia.
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; {Crete: or, Candy}
And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city {of} Lasea.
Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished {them}, {the fast: the fast was on the tenth day of the seventh month}
And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. {hurt: or, injury}
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, {and there} to winter; {which is} an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained {their} purpose, loosing {thence}, they sailed close by Crete.
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. {arose: or, beat}
And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let {her} drive.
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next {day} they lightened the ship;
And the third {day} we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on {us}, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of {any man's} life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
And sounded, and found {it} twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found {it} fifteen fathoms.
Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
And while the day was coming on, Paul besought {them} all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
Wherefore I pray you to take {some} meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken {it}, he began to eat.
Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took {some} meat.
And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed {themselves} unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. {taken...: or, cut the anchors, they left them in the sea}
And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from {their} purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast {themselves} first {into the sea}, and get to land:
And the rest, some on boards, and some on {broken pieces} of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.