Paulo Asafirishwa Kwenda Rumi

27 Ilipoamuliwa kwamba twende Italia, walimkabidhi Paulo na wafungwa wengine kwa askari mmoja aitwaye Juliasi ambaye alikuwa wa kikosi cha Kaisari Agusto. Tulipakia meli iliyotoka Adrami tio ambayo ilikuwa ikielekea kwenye bandari zilizopo pwani ya Asia. Tukaanza safari yetu tukiongozana na Aristarko, Mmakedonia wa kutoka Thesalonike. Kesho yake tulifika Sidoni. Juliasi akamfanyia wema Paulo, akamruhusu aende kuwaona rafiki zake wam hudumie. Kutoka huko tuliendelea na safari yetu, na kwa kuwa tulikuwa tunakabili upepo, tukapitia upande wa kisiwa cha Kipro usioelekea upepo. Tukavuka bahari, kutoka upande wa Kilikia, na Pamfilia, tukafika Mira, katika jimbo la Likia. Yule askari akapata meli iliyokuwa inatoka Aleksandria ikielekea Italia, akatupakia humo. Tukasafiri pole pole kwa siku nyingi, na kwa shida na hatimaye tukafika karibu na bandari ya Nido. Lakini kwa kuwa upepo mkali ulikuwa ukivuma kutoka tulikokuwa tukielekea, hatukuweza kuendelea moja kwa moja na safari yetu, bali tulipitia upande wa pili wa Krete tukaizunguka ncha ya Salmone. Baada ya kuizunguka kwa shida tulifika sehemu iitwayo Bandari Nzuri, kar ibu na mji wa Lasea.

Tulikuwa tumepoteza muda mrefu baharini na kwa wakati huu safari ilikuwa ya hatari kwa maana majira ya kufunga yalikuwa yamekwisha pita. Paulo akawaonya marubani wa ile meli akasema, 10 ‘ ‘Mabwana, naona tukiendelea na safari hii patatokea maafa na hasara kubwa kwa meli na shehena na hata maisha yetu yatakuwa hatarini.” 11 Lakini yule askari akaamua kusikiliza zaidi ushauri wa nahodha na mwenye meli kuliko maneno ya Paulo. 12 Kwa kuwa ile bandari ilikuwa haifai kukaa wakati wa majira ya baridi, wengi wakashauri kwamba waendelee na safari na pengine kwa bahati wangeweza kufika Foinike. Hii ni bandari iliyoko katika kisiwa cha Krete na ambayo inatazama upande wa kusini-magharibi na kas kazini-magharibi, kwa hiyo wangeweza kukaa huko mpaka majira ya baridi yaishe.

Dhoruba Baharini

13 Upepo ulipoanza kuvuma taratibu toka kusini, wakadhani kuwa hii ilikuwa ni dalili nzuri kwamba wangeweza kuendelea na safari. Kwa hiyo wakang’oa nanga wakasafiri wakipita kando kando ya pwani ya kisiwa cha Krete. 14 Lakini baada ya muda mfupi upepo mkali uitwao ‘Kaskazi-mashariki’ ukavuma toka nchi kavu; 15 ukaipiga ile meli, na kwa kuwa haikuwa rahisi kushindana nao, tukaiachilia meli isukumwe kuelekea kule upepo unakokwenda. 16 Hatimaye tukasafiri kupitia nyuma ya kisiwa kidogo kiitwacho Kauda, ambapo kwa kuwa tulikuwa tumekingiwa upepo na hicho kisiwa, tuliweza kwa shida kuifunga mashua ya kuokolea watu. 17 Watu walipokwisha ivuta mashua hiyo wakaiingiza katika meli, waliifunga kwa kamba kwenye meli. Kisha, kwa kuogopa kwamba wangesukumwa na upepo mkali na kukwama kwenye mchanga karibu na pwani ya Sirti, walishusha matanga wakaiacha meli ielee. 18 Kesho yake dhoruba kali iliendelea kuvuma, kwa hiyo wakaanza kuitupa shehena baharini. 19 Siku ya tatu wakaanza kutupa vifaa vya meli baharini kwa mikono yao wenyewe. 20 Kwa siku nyingi hatukuona jua wala nyota, na dhoruba kali ilikuwa inaendelea kuvuma. Kwa hiyo tukakata tamaa kabisa kwamba tungeokolewa.

21 Kwa kuwa walikuwa wamekaa siku kadhaa bila kula cho chote, Paulo akasimama kati yao akasema, “Mngenisikiliza wala msingeondoka Krete na kupata mkasa huu na hasara hii. 22 Lakini sasa nawaomba mjipe moyo. Hakuna hata mmoja wenu atakayepoteza maisha yake ila meli hii itaangamia. 23 Jana usiku, malaika wa Mungu wangu ambaye mimi namwabudu alisimama karibu yangu 24 akasema, ‘Usiogope Paulo; huna budi kujitetea katika kesi yako mbele ya Kaisari; na kwa neema yake, Mungu amekupa maisha ya watu wote wanaosafiri pamoja na wewe.’ 25 Kwa hiyo muwe na matu maini kwa maana nina imani kwa Mungu kwamba mambo yatakuwa kama nilivyoambiwa. 26 Lakini hata hiyo meli yetu itakwama kwenye kisiwa fulani. ”

27 Siku ya kumi na nne, mnamo saa sita za usiku, tulipokuwa bado tunasukumwa na upepo katika bahari ya Adria, mabaharia wali hisi kwamba walikuwa wanakaribia nchi kavu. 28 Kwa hiyo wakapima kina cha bahari wakakuta kilikuwa mita thelathini na tano hivi, na baada ya kitambo kidogo wakapima tena wakapata kina cha mita ishirini na sita hivi. 29 Wakaogopa kwamba meli yetu ingegonga kwenye miamba, kwa hiyo wakashusha nanga nne nyuma ya meli, wakawa wanaomba kupambazuke. 30 Mabaharia walikuwa wanataka kutoroka kutoka mle melini, wakashusha mashua baharini wakidanga nya kuwa walikuwa wanakwenda kuweka nanga upande wa mbele ya meli. Ndipo 31 Paulo akawaambia wale maaskari na maofisa wao, “Hawa watu wasipobaki katika meli, hamtaweza kuokolewa.” 32 Basi wale askari wakakata kamba zilizoshikilia ile mashua kwenye meli wakaiacha mashua ichukuliwe baharini. 33 Mapambazuko yalipokaribia, Paulo akawasihi watu wote wale chakula akisema, “Leo ni siku ya kumi na nne mmekuwa katika wasiwasi bila kula cho chote. 34 Kwa hiyo nawasihi mle chakula kwa maana mnakihi taji ili muweze kuishi. Hakuna mmoja wenu atakayepoteza hata unywele mmoja kichwani mwake.” 35 Baada ya maneno haya, Paulo akachukua mkate, akamshukuru Mungu mbele yao wote, akaumega akaanza kula. 36 Ndipo wote wakatiwa moyo, wakaanza kula chak ula. 37 Ndani ya meli tulikuwa jumla ya watu mia mbili na sabini na sita. 38 Baada ya wote kula chakula cha kutosha, wakapunguza uzito wa meli kwa kutupa ngano baharini.

39 Kulipokucha, mabaharia hawakuitambua ile nchi, lakini waliona ghuba yenye ufuko wa mchanga ambako walitaka waielekeze meli kama ingewezekana, ili wafike pwani. 40 Kwa hiyo wakatupa nanga zote baharini, wakalegeza kamba zilizokuwa zikishikilia usukani wa meli, na kutweka tanga la mbele lishike upepo na kuisukuma meli kuelekea pwani. 41 Lakini ile meli ikagonga mwamba ikakwama kwenye mchanga na upande wa mbele wa meli uka banwa kwenye mwamba wala usingeweza kuondolewa tena. Na upande wa nyuma ulivunjika vipande kwa nguvu ya yale mawimbi. 42 Wale askari walikuwa wamepanga kuwaua wafungwa wote ili wasije wakaogelea hadi pwani na kutoroka. 43 Lakini yule Ofisa wa maas kari alitaka kumwokoa Paulo, kwa hiyo akawazuia wasitekeleze mpango wao. Akaamuru wale wanaoweza kuogelea wajitupe baharini kwanza, na waogelee kuelekea pwani; 44 na wengine wajishikize kwenye vipande vya meli waelee navyo. Kwa jinsi hii, watu wote waliokolewa wakafika nchi kavu.

Paul Sails for Rome

27 When it was decided that we(A) would sail for Italy,(B) Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.(C) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,(D) and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,(E) a Macedonian(F) from Thessalonica,(G) was with us.

The next day we landed at Sidon;(H) and Julius, in kindness to Paul,(I) allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.(J) From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.(K) When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship(N) sailing for Italy(O) and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,(P) we sailed to the lee of Crete,(Q) opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a](R) So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”(S) 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,(T) facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,(U) called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat(V) secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground(W) on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.(X) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice(Y) not to sail from Crete;(Z) then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage,(AA) because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel(AB) of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve(AC) stood beside me(AD) 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;(AE) and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’(AF) 25 So keep up your courage,(AG) men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.(AH) 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground(AI) on some island.”(AJ)

The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[c] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[d] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[e] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat(AK) down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”(AL) 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”(AM) 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it(AN) and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged(AO) and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.(AP)

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,(AQ) where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors,(AR) they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.(AS)

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life(AT) and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 27:9 That is, Yom Kippur
  2. Acts 27:17 Or the sails
  3. Acts 27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy.
  4. Acts 27:28 Or about 37 meters
  5. Acts 27:28 Or about 27 meters