King James Version · Under Rome
Acts 27
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And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they and certain other prisoners unto one named , a of ’ band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of ; one , a Macedonian of , being with us. And the next day we touched at . And courteously entreated , and gave him to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under , because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of and Pamphylia, we came to , a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against , the wind not suffering us, we sailed under , over against ; 8And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of . Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the was now already past, admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by . And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to , and there to winter; which is an haven of , and lieth toward the south west and north west. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by . But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all that we should be was then taken away. But after long abstinence stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from , and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night , whose I am, and whom I , Saying, Fear not, ; thou must be brought before Cesar: and, lo, hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I , that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these in the ship, ye cannot be . Then the soldiers the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33And while the day was coming on, besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued , having taken nothing. Wherefore I you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to in of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen . And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck , and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the of the waves. And the soldiers’ was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But the centurion, willing to , kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.