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 ImperialRegiment.

²We boarded an Adramyttian ship about to sail for ports along the coast 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 treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

⁴After putting out from there, we sailed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

⁵And when we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia.

⁶There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.

⁷After sailing slowly for many days, we arrived off Cnidus. When the wind impeded us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

⁸After we had moved along the coast with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

⁹By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast.So Paul advised them,

¹⁰“Men, I can see that our voyage will be filled with disaster and great loss, not only to ship and cargo, but to our own lives as well.”

¹¹But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.

¹²Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to sail on, hoping that somehow they could reach Phoenix to winter there. Phoenix was a harbor in Crete facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm at Sea

¹³When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete.

¹⁴But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island.

¹⁵Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along.

¹⁶Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda,we barely managed to secure the lifeboat.

¹⁷After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchorand were driven along.

¹⁸We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.

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 great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved.

²¹After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss.

²²But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship.

²³For just last 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 before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

²⁵So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.

²⁶However, we must run aground on some island.”

The Shipwreck

²⁷On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea.About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.

²⁸They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep.Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak.

³⁰Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea.

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

³²So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift.

³³Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food.

³⁴So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.”

³⁵After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

³⁶They were all encouraged and took some food themselves.

³⁷In all, there were 276of us on board.

³⁸After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

³⁹When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

⁴⁰Cutting away the anchors, they left them in the sea as they loosened 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 being broken up by the pounding of the waves.

⁴²The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom.

⁴³But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life, thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

⁴⁴The rest were to follow on planks and various parts of the ship. In this way everyone was brought safely to land.

Paul in Macedonia and Greece

¹When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.

²After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece,

³where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

⁴Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

⁵These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas.

⁶And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread,we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.

⁸Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

⁹And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

¹⁰But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”

¹¹Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

¹²And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot.

¹⁴And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

¹⁵Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, andon the following day we came to Miletus.

¹⁶Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians

¹⁷From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

¹⁸When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.

¹⁹I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

²⁰I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,

²¹testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

²²And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

²³I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

²⁴But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

²⁵Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.

²⁶Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

²⁷For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.

²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,which He purchased with His own blood.

²⁹I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

³⁰Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

³¹Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

³²And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

³⁴You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.

³⁵In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

³⁷They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.

³⁸They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

The Beast from the Sea

¹Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

²The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

³One of the heads of the beast appeared to have been mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

⁴They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

⁵The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.

⁶And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

⁷Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

⁸And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

⁹He who has an ear, let him hear:

¹⁰“If anyone is destined for captivity,into captivity he will go;if anyone is to dieby the sword,by the sword he must be killed.”Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.

¹²And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

¹³And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.

¹⁴Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

¹⁵The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

The Mark of the Beast

¹⁶And the second beast required all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

¹⁷so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

The Excellence of Wisdom

¹Does not wisdom call out,and understanding raise her voice?

²On the heights overlooking the road,at the crossroads she takes her stand.

³Beside the gates to the city,at the entrances she cries out:

⁴“To you, O men, I call out,and my cry is to the sons of men.

⁵O simple ones, learn to be shrewd;O fools, gain understanding.

⁶Listen, for I speak of noble things,and the opening of my lips will reveal right.

⁷For my mouth will speak the truth,and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;none are crooked or perverse.

⁹They are all plain to the discerning,and upright to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction instead of silver,and knowledge rather than pure gold.

¹¹For wisdom is more precious than rubies,and nothing you desire compares with her.

¹²I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence,and I find knowledge and discretion.

¹³To fear the LORD is to hate evil;I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;I have insight and strength.

¹⁵By me kings reign,and rulers enact just laws;

¹⁶By me princes rule,and all nobles who govern justly.

¹⁷I love those who love me,and those who seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor,enduring wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing wealth on those who love meand making their treasuries full.

²²The LORD created me as His first course,before His works of old.

²³From everlasting I was established,from the beginning, before the earth began.

²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,when no springs were overflowing with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled,before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶before He made the land or fields,or any of the dust of the earth.

²⁷I was there when He established the heavens,when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸when He established the clouds above,when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,

²⁹when He set a boundary for the sea,so that the waters would not surpass His command,when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

³⁰Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side,and His delightday by day,rejoicing always in His presence.

³¹I was rejoicing in His whole world,delighting together in the sons of men.

³²Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,for blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Listen to instruction and be wise;do not ignore it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me,watching daily at my doors,waiting at the posts of my doorway.

³⁵For whoever finds me finds lifeand obtains the favor of the LORD.

³⁶But he who fails to find me harms himself;all who hate me love death.”