Pavao plovi u Rim
1Odlučeno je da odjedrimo u Italiju. Pavla i nekolicinu drugih zatvorenika predali su stotniku carske čete Juliju. 2Ukrcali smo se na neku adramitsku lađu koja je plovila u azijska mjesta te otplovili. S nama je bio i neki Makedonac, Aristarh iz Soluna.
3Sutradan smo doplovili u Sidon. Julije je s Pavlom vrlo ljubazno postupao. Dopustio mu je posjetiti prijatelje, da se pobrinu za njegove potrebe. 4Otplovili smo dalje jedreći sjeverno uz Cipar između otoka i kopna jer su puhali suprotni vjetrovi. 5Prošli smo uz cilicijsku i pamfilijsku obalu te stigli u grad Miru u Liciji. 6Ondje stotnik pronađe neku lađu što je iz Aleksandrije plovila u Italiju, pa nas ukrca na nju.
7Nekoliko smo dana sporo plovili i jedva došli do Knida. Kako od vjetra nismo mogli pristati, otplovili smo pod Kretu, do Salmone, 8pa na jedvite jade uz nju do nekoga mjesta zvanog Dobra pristaništa, blizu grada Laseje. 9Mnogo smo vremena izgubili. Plovidba je postala vrlo opasnom jer je već bila jesen,27:9 U grčkome: jer je post (obično koncem rujna ili početkom listopada) već prošao. a Pavao upozori:
10“Ljudi, vidim da će plovidba biti pogibeljna i da ćemo pretrpjeti veliku štetu—ne samo u teretu nego i u našim životima.” 11Ali stotnik je više vjerovao kormilaru i vlasniku broda nego Pavlu. 12Kako luka nije bila prikladna za zimovanje, većina je ljudi predlagala da otplove i pokušaju doći do luke Feniks na Kreti, otvorenoj prema jugozapadu i sjeverozapadu, te da ondje prezimimo.
Oluja na moru
13Tada puhne blagi južnjak te oni, misleći da bi mogli uspjeti u toj nakani, dignu sidro i zaplove uz samu obalu Krete. 14Ali ubrzo zatim silovito zapuše žestok vjetar zvani sjeveroistočnjak. 15Zahvati lađu tako da mu se nije mogla oteti, pa smo se prepustili da nas nosi.
16Kad smo prolazili uz neki otočić zvan Kauda, jedva smo na brod podignuli čamac za spašavanje koji smo vukli za sobom. 17Podignuli su ga da uporabe opremu za spašavanje i da konopcima potpašu lađu. Bojeći se da se ne nasuču na Sirtu uz afričku obalu, spuste plivajuće sidro te smo tako plovili dalje nošeni vjetrom.
18Kako nas je oluja silovito bacala, sutradan izbace s broda teret, 19a treći dan brodsku opremu i sve čega su se domogli. 20Strašna je oluja bjesnjela mnogo dana te se nisu mogli vidjeti ni sunce ni zvijezde. Gubili smo svaku nadu da ćemo se spasiti.
21Dugo već nismo ništa jeli. Pavao stane pred posadu i reče: “Trebali ste me, ljudi, poslušati i ne odlaziti s Krete pa biste izbjegli svu ovu nevolju i štetu. 22Ali sada vam kažem: budite odvažni jer nitko od nas neće stradati iako će lađa potonuti. 23Noćas mi se ukazao anđeo Boga kojemu pripadam i služim 24te mi rekao: ‘Ne boj se, Pavle, jer ćeš sigurno stići pred cara! A Bog ti daruje i da svi tvoji suputnici sigurno doputuju.’ 25Zato se, ljudi, razvedrite! Vjerujem Bogu. Bit će kako mi je rekao. 26Ali nasukat ćemo se na neki otok.”
Brodolom
27Četrnaeste noći oluje, oko ponoći, vjetar nas je gonio amo-tamo po Jadranu. Mornari naslute da se približava nekakvo kopno. 28Bace olovnicu i izmjere dvadeset hvati dubine. Malo zatim opet ju bace i izmjere petnaest hvati. 29Prestraše se da ne nalete na grebene pa bace s krme četiri sidra i počnu se moliti da se brzo razdani. 30Mornari su kanili pobjeći s lađe pa počnu spuštati čamac u more pod izlikom da kane spustiti sidra s pramca. 31Ali Pavao reče stotniku i vojnicima: “Ne ostanu li oni na lađi, nećete se spasiti!” 32Vojnici prerežu užad i puste da čamac padne u more.
33Sve do svanuća Pavao je molio ljude da jedu. “Četrnaest dana niste ni taknuli jelo”, reče. 34“Molim vas, pojedite što za vlastito dobro. Jer neće vam pasti ni vlas s glave.” 35Kad je to rekao, uzme kruh te pred svima zahvali Bogu, razlomi ga i počne jesti. 36Svi se razvedre i uzmu hranu. 37U lađi nas je bilo dvjesto sedamdeset šest duša. 38Kad su se najeli, počnu rasterećivati lađu bacajući žito u more.
39Kad se razdanilo, mornari nisu prepoznali obalu, ali opazili su neki zaljev ravne obale te odluče pokušati onamo zavesti lađu. 40Odvežu zato sidra i puste da padnu u more. Popuste konopce na kormilima i razviju prednje jedro prema vjetru te se usmjere prema obali. 41Ali nalete na plićak i brod se nasuče. Pramac nasjedne i ostane nepomičan, a krmu su razbijali žestoki valovi.
42Vojnici nakane poubijati zatvorenike da koji ne otpliva i ne pobjegne, 43ali im stotnik, želeći poštedjeti Pavla, ne dopusti da to učine. Zapovjedi da oni koji znaju plivati prvi skoče u more i otplivaju do obale, 44a ostalima reče da doplivaju na daskama i olupinama lađe. Tako su svi živi i zdravi dospjeli na kopno.
Paul Sails for Rome
1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.27:9 That is, Yom Kippur So Paul warned them, 10“Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
The Storm
13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor27:17 Or the sails and let the ship be driven along. 18We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
The Shipwreck
27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy. Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet27:28 Or about 37 meters deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet27:28 Or about 27 meters deep. 29Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.
33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.
