36. They all felt encouraged, and each of them ate something.
37. There were 276 people on the ship,
38. and after everyone had eaten, they threw the cargo of wheat into the sea to make the ship lighter.
39. Morning came, and the ship's crew saw a coast that they did not recognize. But they did see a cove with a beach. So they decided to try to run the ship aground on the beach.
40. They cut the anchors loose and let them sink into the sea. At the same time they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Next, they raised the sail at the front of the ship and let the wind carry the ship towards the beach.
41. But it ran aground on a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck firmly in the sand, and the rear was being smashed by the force of the waves.
42. The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners to keep them from swimming away and escaping.
43. But Captain Julius wanted to save Paul's life, and he did not let the soldiers do what they had planned. Instead, he ordered everyone who could swim to dive into the water and head for shore.
44. Then he told the others to hold on to planks of wood or parts of the ship. At last, everyone safely reached shore.