Paul Sails for Rome

271 As soon as arrangements were complete for our sailing to Italy, Paul and a few other prisoners were placed under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, a member of an elite guard. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was bound for Ephesus and ports west. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul most decently - let him get off the ship and enjoy the hospitality of his friends there. 4 Out to sea again, we sailed north under the protection of the northeast shore of Cyprus because winds out of the west were against us, 5 and then along the coast westward to the port of Myra. 6 There the centurion found an Egyptian ship headed for Italy and transferred us on board. 7 We ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course. After much difficulty, we finally made it to the southern coast of the island of Crete 8 and docked at Good Harbor (appropriate name!). 9 By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, 10 "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship - to say nothing of our lives! - if we put out to sea now." 11 The centurion set Paul's warning aside and let the ship captain and the shipowner talk him into trying for the next harbor.

12 But it was not the best harbor for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable.

The Storm at Sea

13 When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. 14 But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck. 15 They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm. 16 We came under the lee of the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails. 17 But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors. 18 Next day, out on the high seas again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. 19 The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions. 20 It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.

21 With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. 22 But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship - the ship itself is doomed. 23 "Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, 24 saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet - and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.' 25 So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me. 26 But we're going to shipwreck on some island or other." 27 On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. 28 Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that ninety feet. 29 Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight. 30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship. They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors from the bow. 31 Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going down." 32 So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift off. 33 With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us has felt like eating! 34 But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a scratch!" 35 He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, 36 and they all ate heartily - 37 two hundred seventy-six of us, all told! 38 With the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping the grain overboard.

The Shipwreck

39 At daybreak, no one recognized the land - but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. 40 They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran before the wind toward the beach. 41 But we didn't make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up. 42 The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, 43 but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, 44 and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. 2 At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. 4 Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." 5 He looked up, expecting to get something from them. 6 Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" 7 He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. 8 He jumped to his feet and walked. 9 Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves.

12 When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people: 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. 14 You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. 15 You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead - and we're the witnesses. 16 Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet - yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes. 17 "And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. 18 But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. 19 "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, 20 and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. 21 For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. 22 Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. 23 Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.' 24 "All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. 25 These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: 'By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' 26 But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways."