Acts 27:27-38 — The Storm Continues

27 Now when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic Sea , about midnight the sailors sensed that they were drawing near some land.

28 And they took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms.

29 Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come.

30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow,

31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”

32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.

34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”

35 And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

36 Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.

38 So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea.

fourteenth night (v.27) — Thirteen days at a drift-rate of one-and-a-half miles-per-hour would cover 468 miles. Cauda to Malta is a bit less than 480 miles in the exact direction a ship would drift in that wind.

Adria (v.27) — the eastern Mediterranean

near some land (v.27) — probably by the sound of breakers

fathom (v.28) — approximately six feet — the distance from fingertip to fingertip of a man with his arm outstretched.

The soldiers were now obeying Paul (v.32).

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