1 Logo que foi determinado que embarcássemos para a Itália, Paulo foi entregue com outros presos a um centurião da coorte Augusta, chamado Júlio.
2 Embarcamos num navio de Adramito que devia costear as terras da Ásia, e levantamos âncora. Em nossa companhia estava Aristarco, macedônio de Tessalônica.
3 No dia seguinte, fazendo escala em Sidônia, Júlio, usando de bondade com Paulo, permitiu-lhe ir ver os seus amigos e prover-se do que havia de necessário.
4 Dali, fazendo-nos ao mar, fomos navegando perto das costas de Chipre, por nos serem contrários os ventos.
5 Tendo atravessado o mar da Cilícia e da Panfília, chegamos a Mira, cidade da Lícia.
6 O centurião encontrou ali um navio de Alexandria, que rumava para a Itália, e fez-nos passar para ele.
7 Por muitos dias navegamos lentamente e com dificuldade até diante de Cnido, onde o vento não nos permitiu aportar.
8 Fomos então costeando ao sul da ilha de Creta, junto ao cabo Salmona. Navegando com dificuldade ao longo da costa, chegamos afinal a um lugar, a que chamam Bons Portos, perto do qual está a cidade de Lasaia.
9 Passara o tempo - já havia passado a época do jejum - e a navegação se tornava perigosa. Paulo advertiu-os:
10 Amigos, vejo que a navegação não se fará sem perigo e sem graves danos, não somente ao navio e à sua carga, mas ainda às nossas vidas.
11 O centurião, porém, dava mais crédito ao piloto e ao mestre do que ao que Paulo dizia.
12 O porto era impróprio para passar o inverno, pelo que a maior parte deles foi de parecer que se retornasse ao mar, na esperança de chegar a Fenice, para passar ali o inverno, por ser esse um porto de Creta, abrigado dos ventos do sudeste e do nordeste.
13 Soprava então brandamente o vento sul. Julgavam poder executar os seus planos. Levantaram a âncora e foram costeando de perto a ilha de Creta.
14 Mas, não muito depois, veio do lado da ilha um tufão chamado Euroaquilão.
15 Sem poder resistir à ventania, o navio foi arrebatado e deixamo-nos arrastar.
16 Impelidos rapidamente para uma pequena ilha chamada Cauda, conseguimos, com muito esforço, recolher o batel.
17 Içaram-no e, depois, como meio de segurança, cingiram o navio com cabos. Então, temendo encalhar em Sirte, arriaram as velas e entregaram-se à mercê dos ventos.
18 No dia seguinte, sendo a tempestade ainda mais violenta, atiraram fora a carga.
19 No terceiro dia, atiramos para fora com as nossas próprias mãos os acessórios do navio.
20 Ora, não aparecendo por muitos dias nem sol nem estrelas e sendo batidos por forte tempestade, tínhamos por fim perdido toda a esperança de sermos salvos.
21 Desde muito tempo ninguém havia comido nada. Paulo levantou-se no meio deles e disse: Amigos, deveras devíeis ter-me atendido e não ter saído de Creta, e assim evitar esse perigo e essas perdas.
22 Agora, porém, vos admoesto a que tenhais coragem, pois não perecerá nenhum de vós, mas somente o navio.
23 Esta noite apareceu-me um anjo de Deus, a quem pertenço e a quem sirvo, o qual me disse:
24 Não temas, Paulo. É necessário que compareças diante de César. Deus deu-te todos os que navegam contigo.
25 Por isso, amigos, coragem! Eu confio em Deus que há de acontecer como me foi dito.
26 Vamos dar a uma ilha.
27 Já estávamos na décima quarta noite, pelo mar Adriático, quando, pela meia-noite, os marinheiros pressentiram que estavam perto de alguma terra.
28 Então, atirando a sonda, perceberam que a profundidade era de vinte braças. Depois, um pouco mais adiante, viram que era de quinze braças.
29 Temendo que déssemos em algum recife, lançaram quatro âncoras da popa, esperando ansiosos que amanhecesse o dia.
30 Imediatamente, os marinheiros procuraram fugir e, sob o pretexto de largar as âncoras da proa, lançaram o bote ao mar.
31 Paulo disse ao centurião e aos soldados: Se estes homens não permanecerem no navio, não podereis salvar-vos.
32 Os soldados cortaram, então, os cabos do bote e deixaram-no cair.
33 Enquanto ia amanhecendo, Paulo encorajou a todos que comessem alguma coisa, e disse: Já faz hoje catorze dias que estais em jejum, sem comer nada.
34 Rogo-vos que comais alguma coisa, no interesse de vossa vida, porque nem um cabelo da cabeça de alguém de vós perecerá.
35 Tendo dito isso, tomou do pão, pronunciou uma bênção na presença de todos e, depois de parti-lo, começou a comer.
36 Com isso, todos cobraram ânimo e puseram-se igualmente a comer.
37 No navio éramos ao todo duzentas e setenta e seis pessoas.
38 Depois de terem comido à vontade, aliviaram o navio, atirando o trigo ao mar.
39 Afinal, clareou o dia. Os marinheiros não reconheceram a terra, mas viram uma enseada com uma praia, na qual tencionavam encalhar o navio, caso o pudessem.
40 Levantaram as âncoras e largaram ao mesmo tempo as amarras dos lemes. Desfraldaram ao vento a vela mestra e rumaram para a praia.
41 Mas deram numa língua de terra, e o navio encalhou aí. A proa, encalhada, permanecia imóvel, ao mesmo tempo que a popa se abria com a força do mar.
42 Os soldados tencionavam matar os presos, por temerem que algum deles fugisse a nado.
43 O centurião, porém, querendo salvar Paulo, impediu que o fizessem e ordenou que aqueles que pudessem nadar fossem os primeiros a lançar-se ao mar e alcançar a terra.
44 Os demais, uns atingiram a terra em tábuas, outros em cima dos destroços do navio. Desse modo, todos conseguiram chegar à terra, sãos e salvos.
1 And when the decision had been made that we were to go by sea to Italy, they gave Paul and certain other prisoners into the care of a captain named Julius, of the Augustan band.
2 And we went to sea in a ship of Adramyttium which was sailing to the sea towns of Asia, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
3 And on the day after, we came to Sidon; and Julius was kind to Paul, and let him go to see his friends and take a rest.
4 And sailing again from there, we went on under cover of Cyprus, because the wind was against us.
5 And having gone across the sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra, in Lycia.
6 And there the captain came across a ship of Alexandria, sailing for Italy, and put us in it.
7 And when we had gone on slowly for a long time, and had had hard work getting across to Cnidus, for the wind was against us, we went under cover of Crete, in the direction of Salmone;
8 And sailing down the side of it, as well as we were able, we came to a certain place named Fair Havens, near which was the town of Lasea.
9 And as a long time had gone by, and the journey was now full of danger, because it was late in the year, Paul put the position before them,
10 Saying, Friends, I see that this journey will be one of great damage and loss, not only to the goods and the ship, but to ourselves.
11 But the captain gave more attention to the master and the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
12 And as the harbour was not a good one in which to be for the winter, the greater number of them were for going out to sea, in order, if possible, to put in for the winter at Phoenix, a harbour of Crete, looking to the north-east and south-east.
13 And when the south wind came softly, being of the opinion that their purpose might be effected, they let the ship go and went sailing down the side of Crete, very near to the land.
14 But after a little time, a very violent wind, named Euraquilo, came down from it with great force.
15 And when the ship got into the grip of it, and was not able to make headway into the wind, we gave way, and went before it.
16 And, sailing near the side of a small island named Cauda, we were able, though it was hard work, to make the ship's boat safe:
17 And having got it up, they put cords under and round the ship; but fearing that they might be pushed on to the Syrtis, they let down the sails and so went running before the wind.
18 And, still fighting the storm with all our strength, the day after they made a start at getting the goods out of the ship;
19 And on the third day, they let all the sailing apparatus go over the side.
20 And as we had not seen the sun or stars for a long time, and a great storm was on us, all hope of salvation was gone.
21 And when they had been without food for a long time, Paul got up among them and said, Friends, it would have been better if you had given attention to me and not gone sailing out from Crete, to undergo this damage and loss.
22 But now, I say to you, be of good heart, for there will be no loss of life, but only of the ship.
23 For this night there came to my side an angel of the God who is my Master and whose servant I am,
24 Saying, Have no fear, Paul, for you will come before Caesar, and God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.
25 And so, O men, be of good heart, for I have faith in God that it will be as he said to me.
26 But we will be sent on to a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth day came, while we were going here and there in the Adriatic sea, about the middle of the night the sailors had an idea that they were getting near land;
28 And they let down the lead, and saw that the sea was a hundred and twenty feet deep; and after a little time they did it again and it was ninety feet.
29 Then, fearing that by chance we might come on to the rocks, they let down four hooks from the back of the ship, and made prayers for the coming of day.
30 Then the sailors made attempts secretly to get away from the ship, letting down a boat as if they were about to put down hooks from the front of the ship;
31 But Paul said to the captain and his men, If you do not keep these men in the ship, you will not be safe.
32 Then the armed men, cutting the cords of the boat, let her go.
33 And when dawn was near, Paul gave them all orders to take food, saying, This is the fourteenth day you have been waiting and taking no food.
34 So I make request to you to take food; for this is for your salvation: not a hair from the head of any of you will come to destruction.
35 And when he had said this and had taken bread, he gave praise to God before them all, and took a meal of the broken bread.
36 Then they all took heart and did the same.
37 And we were, in the ship, two hundred and seventy-six persons.
38 And when they had had enough food, they made the weight of the ship less, turning the grain out into the sea.
39 And when it was day, they had no knowledge of the land, but they saw an inlet of the sea with a floor of sand, and they had the idea of driving the ship up on to it if possible.
40 So cutting away the hooks, and letting them go into the sea, and freeing the cords of the guiding-blades, and lifting up the sail to the wind, they went in the direction of the inlet.
41 And coming to a point between two seas, they got the ship to land; and the front part was fixed in the sand and not able to be moved, but the back part was broken by the force of the waves.
42 Then the armed men were for putting the prisoners to death, so that no one would get away by swimming.
43 But the captain, desiring to keep Paul safe, kept them from their purpose, and gave orders that those who had knowledge of swimming were to go off the ship and get first to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards and some on things from the ship. And so it came about that they all got safe to land.