American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Acts 27
1
And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.
Reference
People
2
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
Reference
📍 Adramyttium
Parallel theme
Acts 19:29
3
And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go to his friends to refresh himself.
Reference
4
And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 4:36
5
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
Reference
📍 Locations
6
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 28:11
7
And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
Reference
📍 Locations
8
And, hardly passing it, came to a place which is called The fair havens; near whereunto was the city of Lasea.
📍 Locations
9
Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 29:7
10
And said to 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.
Reference
11
Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
Reference
Faith
Hebrews 11:7
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 33:4
Proverbs 27:12
Revelation 18:17
2 Kings 6:10
References Paul
Acts 27:21
12
And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart there also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lies toward the south west and north west.
📍 Locations
13
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing there, they sailed close by Crete.
📍 Crete
14
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
Reference
Parallel theme
Mark 4:37
15
And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16
And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
📍 Cauda
17
Which when they had taken up, they used helps, under girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, struck sail, and so were driven.
Reference
📍 Syrtis
19
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 2:4
20
And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
Reference
21
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the middle of them, and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
Reference
📍 Crete
Parallel theme
Genesis 42:22
22
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.
Reference
23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 23:11
Hebrews 1:14
Acts 5:19
2 Timothy 4:17
Isaiah 44:21
Acts 18:9
Acts 8:26
References God
Romans 1:9
Daniel 6:16
Daniel 6:22
24
Saying, Fear not, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar: and, see, God has given you all them that sail with you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:28
Acts 9:15
James 5:16
Revelation 1:17
Acts 27:37
Genesis 12:2
Genesis 15:1
2 Kings 6:16
References God
Genesis 19:29
References Paul
Acts 23:11
25
Why, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Reference
27
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;
📍 Adriatic Sea
28
And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29
Then fearing lest we should have fallen on rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
Reference
30
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the bow,
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 27:16
31
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved.
32
Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 16:8
33
And while the day was coming on, Paul sought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that you have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34
Why I pray 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.
Reference
35
And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Reference
38
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.
Reference
39
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.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 28:1
40
And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41
And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 27:26
42
And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43
But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
Reference
Summary of Acts 27
Acts 27 tells the dramatic story of Paul's journey to Rome by sea, during which he and 275 other people survive a violent Mediterranean storm and shipwreck.
Paul is placed under the authority of a Roman centurion named Julius and begins the journey from Caesarea toward Italy, accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus.
The journey is difficult from the beginning because the winds are unfavorable, forcing the ship to move slowly and seek protection along the coast and near islands.
At Myra, the travelers transfer to a larger ship from Alexandria that is heading toward Italy, probably one of the many Egyptian grain ships that carried food toward Rome.
As they continue, the weather becomes increasingly dangerous, and eventually they reach Fair Havens on Crete.
Paul warns the sailors that continuing the journey is dangerous because the sailing season is already late and a severe storm could destroy the ship and endanger everyone's lives.
However, the captain, shipowner, and most of the people on board decide that Fair Havens is not a good place to spend the winter, so they choose to continue toward Phoenix, a more suitable harbor.
At first, a gentle southern wind makes their decision appear successful, but the calm weather quickly changes when a violent northeasterly storm strikes the ship.
The sailors lose control of the vessel and eventually allow the wind to drive it across the sea.
They strengthen the ship with ropes, throw cargo and equipment overboard, and struggle to keep the vessel from breaking apart.
For many days the storm continues, and because the sun and stars cannot be seen, the sailors lose their ability to navigate properly.
The people on board become so discouraged that they stop eating and begin to believe that they will not survive.
Paul then stands among them and gives them a message of hope.
He reminds them that he had warned them about the journey, but instead of focusing on who was responsible for the mistake, he tells them that an angel from God has assured him that everyone will survive, although the ship itself will be destroyed.
Paul explains that he must still appear before Caesar, connecting the promise of survival with the earlier promise that he would eventually reach Rome.
After fourteen nights of being driven across the sea, the sailors begin to realize that they are approaching land.
They measure the depth of the water and discover that it is becoming shallower, so they throw out four anchors and wait for daylight.
Some sailors then attempt to escape in the lifeboat, but Paul recognizes their plan and warns the centurion that everyone needs to remain on the ship if they are going to survive.
The soldiers cut the ropes and prevent the sailors from escaping.
Before daylight, Paul encourages everyone to eat because they have gone many days without proper food.
He takes bread, gives thanks to God, breaks it, and begins eating in front of everyone.
His calm actions encourage the others, and all 276 people on the ship eat before preparing for the final stage of the journey.
When daylight arrives, the sailors see a bay with a beach and decide to run the ship onto the shore.
The ship hits a dangerous shallow area where two currents meet, causing the front of the ship to become stuck while the back begins breaking apart.
The soldiers then consider killing the prisoners because Roman soldiers could face serious punishment if prisoners escaped.
However, Julius stops them because he wants to save Paul, ordering those who can swim to reach the shore first.
Everyone else follows by holding onto pieces of the broken ship.
In the end, all 276 people reach land safely, exactly as Paul had said.
The central message of Acts 27 is that God can protect His people through situations that appear completely hopeless, while also using them to bring hope and courage to others.
Paul does not control the storm, the ship, or the decisions of the sailors, but he remains calm because he trusts God's promise.
His faith does not make him passive; instead, he combines faith with practical wisdom by warning the crew, stopping the sailors from escaping, encouraging everyone to eat, and helping the group prepare for survival.
The chapter also shows how Paul's presence begins to influence people who do not share his faith.
The Roman centurion Julius treats Paul with unusual kindness, listens to him at important moments, and eventually protects his life when the soldiers want to kill the prisoners.
Paul becomes a leader during the crisis even though he is technically only a prisoner.
Historically, the chapter provides an unusually detailed picture of ancient Mediterranean sea travel, including the use of coastal routes, anchors, ropes, lifeboats, navigation by the sun and stars, measuring water depth, and throwing cargo overboard to make a ship lighter.
The mention of the Day of Atonement helps place the journey in the late sailing season, probably around September or October, when Mediterranean storms made long-distance travel much more dangerous.
The ship is eventually wrecked on an island that Acts 28 identifies as Malta.
The journey is significant because Paul had already been told that he would testify in Rome, and even though the storm threatens to end his life, God's promise remains in control.
Acts 27 therefore connects God's promise, human responsibility, courage, leadership, and survival.
Paul's faith does not prevent the storm, but it gives him the confidence to face it and encourage everyone around him.
The ship is lost, the journey becomes chaotic, and everyone experiences fear, yet not one person dies, demonstrating that the disaster becomes another stage in Paul's journey toward Rome and another opportunity for his faith to influence the people around him.
Paul is placed under the authority of a Roman centurion named Julius and begins the journey from Caesarea toward Italy, accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus.
The journey is difficult from the beginning because the winds are unfavorable, forcing the ship to move slowly and seek protection along the coast and near islands.
At Myra, the travelers transfer to a larger ship from Alexandria that is heading toward Italy, probably one of the many Egyptian grain ships that carried food toward Rome.
As they continue, the weather becomes increasingly dangerous, and eventually they reach Fair Havens on Crete.
Paul warns the sailors that continuing the journey is dangerous because the sailing season is already late and a severe storm could destroy the ship and endanger everyone's lives.
However, the captain, shipowner, and most of the people on board decide that Fair Havens is not a good place to spend the winter, so they choose to continue toward Phoenix, a more suitable harbor.
At first, a gentle southern wind makes their decision appear successful, but the calm weather quickly changes when a violent northeasterly storm strikes the ship.
The sailors lose control of the vessel and eventually allow the wind to drive it across the sea.
They strengthen the ship with ropes, throw cargo and equipment overboard, and struggle to keep the vessel from breaking apart.
For many days the storm continues, and because the sun and stars cannot be seen, the sailors lose their ability to navigate properly.
The people on board become so discouraged that they stop eating and begin to believe that they will not survive.
Paul then stands among them and gives them a message of hope.
He reminds them that he had warned them about the journey, but instead of focusing on who was responsible for the mistake, he tells them that an angel from God has assured him that everyone will survive, although the ship itself will be destroyed.
Paul explains that he must still appear before Caesar, connecting the promise of survival with the earlier promise that he would eventually reach Rome.
After fourteen nights of being driven across the sea, the sailors begin to realize that they are approaching land.
They measure the depth of the water and discover that it is becoming shallower, so they throw out four anchors and wait for daylight.
Some sailors then attempt to escape in the lifeboat, but Paul recognizes their plan and warns the centurion that everyone needs to remain on the ship if they are going to survive.
The soldiers cut the ropes and prevent the sailors from escaping.
Before daylight, Paul encourages everyone to eat because they have gone many days without proper food.
He takes bread, gives thanks to God, breaks it, and begins eating in front of everyone.
His calm actions encourage the others, and all 276 people on the ship eat before preparing for the final stage of the journey.
When daylight arrives, the sailors see a bay with a beach and decide to run the ship onto the shore.
The ship hits a dangerous shallow area where two currents meet, causing the front of the ship to become stuck while the back begins breaking apart.
The soldiers then consider killing the prisoners because Roman soldiers could face serious punishment if prisoners escaped.
However, Julius stops them because he wants to save Paul, ordering those who can swim to reach the shore first.
Everyone else follows by holding onto pieces of the broken ship.
In the end, all 276 people reach land safely, exactly as Paul had said.
The central message of Acts 27 is that God can protect His people through situations that appear completely hopeless, while also using them to bring hope and courage to others.
Paul does not control the storm, the ship, or the decisions of the sailors, but he remains calm because he trusts God's promise.
His faith does not make him passive; instead, he combines faith with practical wisdom by warning the crew, stopping the sailors from escaping, encouraging everyone to eat, and helping the group prepare for survival.
The chapter also shows how Paul's presence begins to influence people who do not share his faith.
The Roman centurion Julius treats Paul with unusual kindness, listens to him at important moments, and eventually protects his life when the soldiers want to kill the prisoners.
Paul becomes a leader during the crisis even though he is technically only a prisoner.
Historically, the chapter provides an unusually detailed picture of ancient Mediterranean sea travel, including the use of coastal routes, anchors, ropes, lifeboats, navigation by the sun and stars, measuring water depth, and throwing cargo overboard to make a ship lighter.
The mention of the Day of Atonement helps place the journey in the late sailing season, probably around September or October, when Mediterranean storms made long-distance travel much more dangerous.
The ship is eventually wrecked on an island that Acts 28 identifies as Malta.
The journey is significant because Paul had already been told that he would testify in Rome, and even though the storm threatens to end his life, God's promise remains in control.
Acts 27 therefore connects God's promise, human responsibility, courage, leadership, and survival.
Paul's faith does not prevent the storm, but it gives him the confidence to face it and encourage everyone around him.
The ship is lost, the journey becomes chaotic, and everyone experiences fear, yet not one person dies, demonstrating that the disaster becomes another stage in Paul's journey toward Rome and another opportunity for his faith to influence the people around him.