The Acts of the Apostles 1449
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat
for your health’s sake; for there shall not an hair
of the head of any of you perish.
35 And when he had said these things, taking
bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of them
all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Then were they all of better cheer, and they
also took some meat.
37 And we were in all in the ship, two hundred
threescore and sixteen souls.
38 And when they had eaten enough, they
lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the
sea.
39 And when it was day, they knew not the
land; but they discovered a certain creek that
had a shore, into which they minded, if they
could, to thrust in the ship.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors,
they committed themselves to the sea, loosing
withal the rudder bands; and hoisting up the
mainsail to the wind, they made towards shore.
41 And when we were fallen into a place where
two seas met, they run the ship aground; and the
forepart indeed, sticking fast, remained unmove-
able: but the hinder part was broken with the
violence of the sea.
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was, that they
should kill the prisoners, lest any of them, swim-
ming out, should escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, for-
bade it to be done; and he commanded that they
who could swim, should cast themselves first into
the sea, and save themselves, and get to land.
44 And the rest, some they carried on boards,
and some on those things that belonged to the
ship. And so it came to pass, that every soul got
safe to land.
Chapter 28
And when we had escaped, then we knew that
the island was called Melita. But the barbarians
shewed us no small courtesy.
2 For kindling a fire, they refreshed us all, be-
cause of the present rain, and of the cold.
3 And when Paul had gathered together a
bundle of sticks, and had laid them on the fire,
a viper coming out of the heat, fastened on his
hand.
4 And when the barbarians saw the beast
hanging on his hand, they said one to an-
other: Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, who
though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance
doth not suffer him to live.
5 And he indeed shaking off the beast into the
fire, suffered no harm.
6 But they supposed that he would begin
to swell up, and that he would suddenly fall
down and die. But expecting long, and seeing
that there came no harm to him, changing their
minds, they said, that he was a god.
7 Now in these places were possessions of the
chief man of the island, named Publius, who re-
ceiving us, for three days entertained us courte-
ously.
8 And it happened that the father of Publius
lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux. To whom
Paul entered in; and when he had prayed, and
laid his hands on him, he healed him.
9 Which being done, all that had diseases in
the island, came and were healed:
10 Who also honoured us with many honours,
and when we were to set sail, they laded us with
such things as were necessary.
11 And after three months, we sailed in a ship
of Alexandria, that had wintered in the island,
whose sign was the Castors.