Actuum Apostolorum 27
1 Ut autem judicatum est navigare eum in Italiam, et tradi Paulum cum reliquis custodiis centurioni nomine Julio cohortis Augustæ,
As it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were put in charge of a centurion of the Augustan Guard, named Julius.
2 ascendentes navem Adrumetinam, incipientes navigare circa Asiæ loca, sustulimus, perseverante nobiscum Aristarcho Macedone Thessalonicensi.
We went on board a ship from Adramyttium, which was on the point of sailing to the ports along the coast of Roman Asia, and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.
3 Sequenti autem die devenimus Sidonem. Humane autem tractans Julius Paulum, permisit ad amicos ire, et curam sui agere.
The next day we put in to Sidon, where Julius treated Paul in a friendly manner, and allowed him to go to see his friends and receive their hospitality.
4 Et inde cum sustulissemus, subnavigavimus Cyprum, propterea quod essent venti contrarii.
Putting to sea again, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us;
5 Et pelagus Ciliciæ et Pamphyliæ navigantes, venimus Lystram, quæ est Lyciæ:
and, after crossing the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.
6 et ibi inveniens centurio navem Alexandrinam navigantem in Italiam, transposuit nos in eam.
There the Roman officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her.
7 Et cum multis diebus tarde navigaremus, et vix devenissemus contra Gnidum, prohibente nos vento, adnavigavimus Cretæ juxta Salmonem:
For several days our progress was slow, and it was only with difficulty that we arrived off Cnidus. As the wind was still unfavourable when we came off Cape Salmone, we sailed under the lee of Crete,
8 et vix juxta navigantes, venimus in locum quemdam qui vocatur Boniportus, cui juxta erat civitas Thalassa.
and with difficulty, by keeping close in shore, we reached a place called “Fair Havens,” near which was the town of Lasea.
9 Multo autem tempore peracto, et cum jam non esset tuta navigatio eo quod et jejunium jam præteriisset, consolabatur eos Paulus,
This had taken a considerable time, and sailing was already dangerous, for the Fast was already over; and so Paul gave this warning.
10 dicens eis: Viri, video quoniam cum injuria et multo damno non solum oneris, et navis, sed etiam animarum nostrarum incipit esse navigatio.
‘My friends,’ he said, ‘I see that this voyage will be attended with injury and much damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but to our own lives also.’
11 Centurio autem gubernatori et nauclero magis credebat, quam his quæ a Paulo dicebantur.
The Roman officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul.
12 Et cum aptus portus non esset ad hiemandum, plurimi statuerunt consilium navigare inde, si quomodo possent, devenientes Phœnicen hiemare, portum Cretæ respicientem ad Africum et ad Corum.
And, as the harbour was not a suitable one to winter in, the majority were in favour of continuing the voyage, in hope of being able to reach Phoenix, and winter there. Phoenix was a Cretan harbour, open to the north-east and south-east.
13 Aspirante autem austro, æstimantes propositum se tenere, cum sustulissent de Asson, legebant Cretam.
So, when a light wind sprang up from the south, thinking that they had found their opportunity, they weighed anchor and kept along the coast of Crete, close in shore.
14 Non post multum autem misit se contra ipsam ventus typhonicus, qui vocatur Euroaquilo.
But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land – a north-easter, as it is called.
15 Cumque arrepta esset navis, et non posset conari in ventum, data nave flatibus, ferebamur.
The ship was caught by it and was unable to keep her head to the wind, so we had to give way and let her drive before it.
16 In insulam autem quamdam decurrentes, quæ vocatur Cauda, potuimus vix obtinere scapham.
Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we only just managed to secure the ship’s boat,
17 Qua sublata, adjutoriis utebantur, accingentes navem, timentes ne in Syrtim inciderent, summisso vase sic ferebantur.
and, after hoisting it on board, the men frapped the ship. But, afraid of being driven on to the Syrtis Sands, they lowered the yard, and then drifted.
18 Valida autem nobis tempestate jactatis, sequenti die jactum fecerunt:
So violently were we tossed about by the storm, that the next day they began throwing the cargo overboard,
19 et tertia die suis manibus armamenta navis projecerunt.
and, on the following day, threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.
20 Neque autem sole, neque sideribus apparentibus per plures dies, et tempestate non exigua imminente, jam ablata erat spes omnis salutis nostræ.
As neither sun nor stars were visible for several days, and, as the gale still continued severe, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Et cum multa jejunatio fuisset, tunc stans Paulus in medio eorum, dixit: Oportebat quidem, o viri, audito me, non tollere a Creta, lucrique facere injuriam hanc et jacturam.
It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said, ‘My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage.
22 Et nunc suadeo vobis bono animo esse: amissio enim nullius animæ erit ex vobis, præterquam navis.
Yet, even as things are, I beg you not to lose courage, for there will not be a single life lost among you – only the ship.
23 Astitit enim mihi hac nocte angelus Dei, cujus sum ego, et cui deservio,
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by me, and said –
24 dicens: Ne timeas, Paule: Cæsari te oportet assistere: et ecce donavit tibi Deus omnes qui navigant tecum.
“Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow voyagers.”
25 Propter quod bono animo estote, viri: credo enim Deo quia sic erit, quemadmodum dictum est mihi.
Therefore, courage, my friends! For I believe God, that everything will happen exactly as I have been told.
26 In insulam autem quamdam oportet nos devenire.
We will, however, have to be driven on some island.’
27 Sed posteaquam quartadecima nox supervenit, navigantibus nobis in Adria circa mediam noctem, suspicabantur nautæ apparere sibi aliquam regionem.
It was now the fourteenth night of the storm, and we were drifting about in the Adriatic Sea, when, about midnight, the sailors began to suspect that they were drawing near land.
28 Qui et summittentes bolidem, invenerunt passus viginti: et pusillum inde separati, invenerunt passus quindecim.
So they took soundings, and found twenty fathoms of water. After waiting a little, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.
29 Timentes autem ne in aspera loca incideremus, de puppi mittentes anchoras quatuor, optabant diem fieri.
Then, as they were afraid of our being driven on some rocky coast, they let go four anchors from the stern, and longed for daylight.
30 Nautis vero quærentibus fugere de navi, cum misissent scapham in mare, sub obtentu quasi inciperent a prora anchoras extendere,
The sailors wanted to leave the ship, and had lowered the boat, on pretence of running out anchors from the bows,
31 dixit Paulus centurioni et militibus: Nisi hi in navi manserint, vos salvi fieri non potestis.
when Paul said to the Roman officer and his men, ‘Unless the sailors remain on board, you cannot be saved.’
32 Tunc absciderunt milites funes scaphæ, et passi sunt eam excidere.
So the soldiers cut the ropes which held the boat, and let her drift away.
33 Et cum lux inciperet fieri, rogabat Paulus omnes sumere cibum, dicens: Quartadecima die hodie exspectantes jejuni permanetis, nihil accipientes.
In the interval before daybreak Paul kept urging them all to take something to eat. ‘It is a fortnight today,’ he said, ‘that, owing to your anxiety, you have gone without food, taking nothing.
34 Propter quod rogo vos accipere cibum pro salute vestra: quia nullius vestrum capillus de capite peribit.
So I beg you to take something to eat; your safety depends on it, for not one of you will lose even a hair of his head.’
35 Et cum hæc dixisset, sumens panem, gratias egit Deo in conspectu omnium: et cum fregisset, cœpit manducare.
With these words he took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving to God before them all, broke it in pieces, and began to eat;
36 Animæquiores autem facti omnes, et ipsi sumpserunt cibum.
and the men all felt cheered and had something to eat themselves.
37 Eramus vero universæ animæ in navi ducentæ septuaginta sex.
There were about seventy-six of us on board, all told.
38 Et satiati cibo alleviabant navem, jactantes triticum in mare.
After satisfying their hunger, they further lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39 Cum autem dies factus esset, terram non agnoscebant: sinum vero quemdam considerabant habentem littus, in quem cogitabant si possent ejicere navem.
When daylight came, they could not make out what land it was, but, observing a creek in which there was a beach, they consulted as to whether they could run the ship safely into it.
40 Et cum anchoras sustulissent, committebant se mari, simul laxantes juncturas gubernaculorum: et levato artemone secundum auræ flatum, tendebant ad littus.
Then they cast off, and abandoned the anchors, and at the same time unlashed the gear of the steering oars, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach.
41 Et cum incidissemus in locum dithalassum, impegerunt navem: et prora quidem fixa manebat immobilis, puppis vero solvebatur a vi maris.
They got, however, into a kind of channel, and there ran the ship aground. The bows stuck fast and could not be moved, while the stern began breaking up under the strain.
42 Militum autem consilium fuit ut custodias occiderent, ne quis cum enatasset, effugeret.
The advice of the soldiers was that the prisoners should be killed, so that none of them could swim away and make their escape.
43 Centurio autem volens servare Paulum, prohibuit fieri: jussitque eos qui possent natare, emittere se primos, et evadere, et ad terram exire:
But the Roman officer, anxious to save Paul, prevented their carrying out their intention, and ordered that those who could swim should be the first to jump into the sea and try to reach the shore;
44 et ceteros, alios in tabulis ferebant, quosdam super ea quæ de navi erant. Et sic factum est, ut omnes animæ evaderent ad terram.
and that the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on different pieces of the ship. In these various ways everyone managed to get safely ashore.
