Day 262 of 365

¹When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

²Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

³The next day, we landed at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

⁴Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

⁶There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

⁷When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

⁸With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them,

¹⁰and said to them, "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."

¹¹But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

¹²Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast.

¹³When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

¹⁴But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euraquilo.

¹⁵When 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, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

¹⁷After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

¹⁸As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

¹⁹On the third day, they threw out the ship's tackle with their own hands.

²⁰When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

²¹When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.

²²Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

²³For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

²⁴saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.'

²⁵Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

²⁶But we must run aground on a certain island."

²⁷But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

²⁸They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

³⁰As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved."

³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.

³³While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

³⁴Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads."

³⁵When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.

³⁶Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

³⁷In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

³⁸When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹When it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

⁴⁰Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

⁴¹But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

⁴²The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

⁴³But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;

⁴⁴and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.

¹When we had escaped, then we learned that the island was called Malta.

²The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

³But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and placed them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live."

⁵However he shook off the creature into the fire, and was not harmed.

⁶But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

⁷Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days.

⁸It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

⁹Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured.

¹⁰They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.

¹¹After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was "The Twin Brothers."

¹²Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

¹³From there we weighed anchor and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

¹⁴where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

¹⁵From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage.

¹⁶When we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

¹⁷It happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the Jewish leaders. When they had come together, he said to them, "I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

¹⁸who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

¹⁹But when the Judeans spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

²⁰For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."

²¹They said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

²²But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against."

²³When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the Kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

²⁴Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

²⁵When they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to your fathers,

²⁶saying, 'Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

²⁷For this people's heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.'

²⁸"Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations. They will also listen." [

²⁹When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]

³⁰Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,

³¹proclaiming the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

¹Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),

²and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:

³Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father-

⁵to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁶I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different "good news";

⁷and there is not another "good news." Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

⁸But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you any "good news" other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

⁹As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

¹⁰For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

¹¹But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

¹²For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³For you have heard of my way of living in time past in Judaism, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and ravaged it.

¹⁴I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace,

¹⁶to reveal his Son in me, that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

¹⁹But of the other apostles I saw no one, except Jacob, the Lord's brother.

²⁰Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I'm not lying.

²¹Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

²²I was still unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ,

²³but they only heard: "He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy."

²⁴And they glorified God because of me.

¹Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

²I went up by revelation, and I explained to them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

³But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

⁴This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

⁵to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

⁶But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God does not show partiality to man)-they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

⁷but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision

⁸(for he who appointed Peter to be an apostle of the circumcision appointed me also to the Gentiles);

⁹and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, Jacob and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor-which very thing I was also zealous to do.

¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

¹²For before some people came from Jacob, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

¹³And the rest of the Jewish believers joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, how can you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

¹⁵"We, being Jews by birth, and not Gentile sinners,

¹⁶yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

¹⁷But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!

¹⁸For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

¹⁹For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

²¹I do not make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"