24. The angel said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must go on trial in front of Caesar. God has shown his grace by sparing the lives of all those sailing with you.'
25. "Men, continue to be brave. I have faith in God. It will happen just as he told me.
26. But we must run the ship onto the beach of some island."
27. On the 14th night we were still being driven across the Sea of Adria. About midnight the sailors had a feeling that they were approaching land.
28. They measured how deep the water was. They found that it was 120 feet deep. A short time later they measured the water again. This time it was 90 feet deep.
29. They were afraid we would crash against the rocks. So they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship. They prayed that daylight would come.
30. The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they let the lifeboat down into the sea. They pretended they were going to lower some anchors from the front of the ship.
31. But Paul spoke to the commander and the soldiers. "These men must stay with the ship," he said. "If they don't, you can't be saved."
32. So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat. They let it drift away.