Tuesday, April 12, 2016
ACTS 27:1;28:15 Voyage to Rome
ACTS 27 NLT
1 When the time came, we set sail for
Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of a Roman officer
named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.
2 Aristarchus, a Macedonian from
Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a ship whose home port was
Adramyttium on the northwest coast of the province of Asia; it was scheduled to
make several stops at ports along the coast of the province.
3 The next day when we docked at Sidon,
Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so
they could provide for his needs.
4 Putting out to sea from there, we
encountered strong headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course,
so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.
5 Keeping to the open sea, we passed along
the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of
Lycia.
6 There the commanding officer found an
Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on
board.
7 We had several days of slow sailing, and
after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us,
so we sailed across to Crete and along the sheltered coast of the island, past
the cape of Salmone.
8 We struggled along the coast with great
difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather
was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and
Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.
10 “Men,” he said, “I believe there is
trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as
well.”
11 But the officer in charge of the
prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.
12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed
harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to
Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was
a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.
13 When a light wind began blowing from the
south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and
sailed close to the shore of Crete.
14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a
wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and
blew us out to sea.
15 The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into
the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.
16 We sailed along the sheltered side of a
small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the
lifeboat being towed behind us.
17 Then the sailors bound ropes around the
hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to
the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to
slow the ship and were driven before the wind.
18 The next day, as gale-force winds
continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo
overboard.
19 The following day they even took some of
the ship’s gear and threw it overboard.
20 The terrible storm raged for many days,
blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
21 No one had eaten for a long time.
Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened
to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this
damage and loss.
22 But take courage! None of you will lose
your lives, even though the ship will go down.
23 For last night an angel of the God to
whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,
24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for
you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has
granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’
25 So take courage! For I believe God. It
will be just as he said.
26 But we will be shipwrecked on an
island.”
27 About midnight on the fourteenth night
of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors
sensed land was near.
28 They dropped a weighted line and found
that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again
and found it was only 90 feet deep.
29 At this rate they were afraid we would
soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four
anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight.
30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the
ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors
from the front of the ship.
31 But Paul said to the commanding officer
and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.”
32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the
lifeboat and let it drift away.
33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged
everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for
two weeks,” he said.
34“Please eat something now for your own good.
For not a hair of your heads will perish.”
35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to
God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.
36 Then everyone was encouraged and began
to eat—
37 all 276 of us who were on
board.
38 After eating, the crew lightened the
ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
39When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the
coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to
shore by running the ship aground.
40 So they cut off the anchors and left
them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed
toward shore.
41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship
aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was
repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.
42 The soldiers wanted to kill the
prisoners to make sure they didn’t swim ashore and escape.
43 But the commanding officer wanted to
spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who
could swim to jump overboard first and make for land.
44The others held on to planks or debris from
the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely to shore.
ACTS 28 NLT
1 Once we were safe on shore, we learned
that we were on the island of Malta.
2 The people of the island were very kind
to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome
us.
3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and
was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him
on the hand.
4 The people of the island saw it hanging
from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped
the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”
5 But Paul shook off the snake into the
fire and was unharmed.
6 The people waited for him to swell up or
suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t
harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
7 Near the shore where we landed was an
estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us
and treated us kindly for three days.
8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill
with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands
on him, he healed him.
9 Then all the other sick people on the
island came and were healed.
10 As a result we were showered with
honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we
would need for the trip.
11 It was three months after the shipwreck
that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian
ship with the twin gods as its figurehead.
12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we
stayed three days.
13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium.
A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the
coast to Puteoli.
14 There we found some believers, who
invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had
heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way.
Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged
and thanked God.
Proverbs 17
Proverbs 17 (New International Version)
Proverbs 17
1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, [a] with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Arrogant [b] lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both.
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.
24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.
27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Proverbs 17
1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, [a] with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Arrogant [b] lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the LORD detests them both.
16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.
22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.
24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.
27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Revelation 8
Revelation 8 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
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