storm, the next day the men began to throw out the ship's cargo. On
the third day, with their own hands, they threw overboard the ship's
tackle. For many days neither sun nor stars were seen and the heavy gale
continued, so at last all hope that we would be saved was given up.

When the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them
and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not have sailed from
Crete, then you would have escaped this hardship and loss. But now I
urge you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life, but only of
the ship. For last night, an angel of the God, to whom I belong and whom
I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Paul, have no fear, for you must
stand before the Emperor. God also has granted you the lives of all of
those who sail with you.' Therefore, men, cheer up! For I believe God
and am sure that it will be just as I have been told; but we will be
wrecked on a certain island."

When the fourteenth night came and we were drifting about in the
Adriatic Sea, the sailors about midnight thought that they were nearing
land. So they took soundings and found one hundred and twenty feet of
water; and when they had gone a little farther they found ninety feet.
Fearing that we might be wrecked on the rocks, they threw out four
anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. The sailors wanted to
escape from the ship and had even lowered the boat into the sea,
pretending that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, when
Paul said to the officer and to the soldiers, "Unless these men stay on
board, we cannot be saved." Then the soldiers cut the ropes which held
the boat and let her drift away.

Just before daybreak Paul begged them all to take some food, and said,
"This is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly on the watch,
taking little or no food. Take some food, then, I beg of you, because
this will keep you alive, for not one of you will lose even a hair from
his head." When he had said this, he took bread, and gave thanks to God
before them all, and he broke the bread and began to eat it. Then they
were all cheered up and they also took food. There were about
seventy-six of us on board. When they had eaten enough, they lightened
the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

When it was day they could not make out what land it was; but they saw
an inlet with a sandy beach on which they planned, if possible, to run
the ship ashore. So cutting away the an