Acts of the Apostles

We were in all in the ship two hundred seventy-six souls.

When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

When it was day, they didn't recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go to the land;

and the rest, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.

When we had escaped, then we knew that the island was called Malta.

The natives shown us no common kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live."