510-511 : The Ship Runs Aground
When the fourteenth night had come,
about midnight the men of the ship felt that they were drawing near to land.
They took soundings and then cast four anchors off the stern.
When they had let down the boat, about to flee the ship,
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers,
"Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."
Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat, and let her drift away.
While the day was coming on, Paul asked them all to take food, saying,
"This day is the fourteenth day that you have taken nothing.
Therefore I pray you to eat, for this is for your health.
For not a hair shall fall from the head of any of you."
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God,
and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Then they were all of good cheer, and they also took some food.
And they were in all two hundred and seventy-six souls on the ship.
When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, casting out the cargo of wheat into the sea.
And when it was day, the land was unknown to them,
but they saw a creek with a beach where they planned, if it were possible, to run the ship ashore.
So they took up the anchors, loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted the mainsail to the wind and, committing themselves to the sea, made toward shore.
And falling onto a shoal, they ran the ship aground.
The forepart stuck fast and remained unmovable,
but the after part was broken with the violence of the waves.
Now the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners lest any of them should swim out and escape.
But the centurion, wanting to save Paul,
kept them from their plan commanded that
those who coud swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land;
then the rest shoud follow ,some on boards and some on pieces of the ship.
And it came to pass that they all escaped safe to land
THEY WINTER ON MALTA
After there escape,they found that the island was called Melita (Malta).
The natives there showed them much kindness,
for they kindled a fire and welcomed them all to it,because of the rain and cold.
When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire,
a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
When the natives saw the poisonous beast hang from his hand,
they said amongst themselves,"No doubt this man is a murderer whom justice will not permit to live,although he has escaped the sea."
But Paul shook the beast off into the fire and felt no harm.
They looked for him to swell or fall down dead suddenly,
but after they had looked a great while,and saw no harm come to him,
they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
Now in the same area were the lands of the cheif man of the island,whose name was Publius.
He welcomed Paul and lodged him courteously for three days.
The father of Publius lay sick with a fever and a flow of blood and Paul prayed and healed him.
So when this was done ,others on the island which had diseases came and were healed.
They heaped honours on Paul,and when he departed,they gave him all he needed.
After three months,he left in a ship from Alexandria which had wintered at the island.
He went to Syracuse,to Rhegium,to Puteoli and so to Rome.
( Link to free online Bible to view where this event takes place in the Bible )
