The first New Testament printed in English

by Unknown

But anon after there arose (against their purpose) a flaw of wind out of the northeast. When the ship was caught, and could not resist the wind, we let her go and drave with the weather. We came unto an isle named Clauda, And had much work to come by a boat, which they took up, and used help undergirding the ship, fearing lest we should have fallen into Syrtes, and we let down a vessel and so were carried. The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship, and the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. When at the last neither sun nor star in many days appeared, And no small tempest lay upon us, all hope that we should be saved, was taken away.

Then after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said: Sirs ye should have heard me, and not have departed from Candy, neither to have brought unto us this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you: But of the ship only. For there stood by me this night the angel of God whose I am, and whom I serve, saying: fear not Paul, for thou must be brought before Cesar. And lo, God hath given unto thee all that are in the ship with thee, wherefore sirs be of good cheer, for I believe God that so it shall be even as it was told me, and we must be cast into a certain island.

But when the fourteenth night was come as we were carried in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that there appeared some country unto them, and they sounded, and found it xx. fathoms. they went a little further and sounded again, and found xv. fathoms. Then fearing lest they should have fallen on some Rocke, they cast iiij. anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. As the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, and had let down the boat into the sea, under a colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship: Paul said unto the undercaptain and the soldiers: except these abide in the ship ye cannot be safe. Then the soldiers cut off the rope of the boat, and let it fall away.

And in the meantime, betwixt that and day, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying: this is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting receiving nothing at all, wherefore I pray you to take meat: for this no doubt is for your health, for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken he took bread and gave thanks to God in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eat. Then were they all of Good cheer, and they also took meat. We were all together in the ship, two hundred and three score and sixteen souls. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea.

When it was day they knew not the land, but they spied a certain reach with a bank, into the which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and lowsed the rudder bonds and hoised up the main sail to the wind and drew to land, but they fell into a place, which had the sea on both the sides, and thrust in the ship. And the fore part stuck fast, and moved not, but the hinderpart brake with the violence of the waves.

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners lest any of them, when he had swum out should flee away: but the undercaptain willing to save Paul kept them from their purpose, and commanded that they that could swim should cast themselves first in to the sea, and scape to land. And the other he commanded to go, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they came all safe to land.

The .xxviij. Chapter.

And when they were scaped they knew that the isle was called Mileta. The people of the country shewed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us every one because of the present rain, and because of cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, And put them into the fire, a viper (because of the heat) crept out leapt on his hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said among themselves: this man must needs be a murderer: Whom (though he have escaped the sea) yet vengeance suffereth not to live. and he shook off the vermin into the fire, and felt no harm. They waited when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly. But after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a God.

In the same quarters, the chief man of the isle whose name was Publius, had a lordship: which received us, and lodged us three days courteously. It fortuned that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux to whom Paul entered in and prayed, and laid his hands on him and healed him. When this was done, other also which had diseases in the isle, came and were healed: And they did us great honour. And when we departed, they laded us with things necessary.

After three months we departed in a ship of Alexandry, which had wintered in the isle, whose badge was Castor and Pollux. And when we came to Ciracusa, we tarried there iij. days, from whence we sailed about and came to Regium. And after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Putiolus where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days, and so came we to Rome. and from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to Apiphorum, and three taverns, and met us. When Paul saw them he thanked God, and waxed bold. When he came to Rome, the undercaptain delivered the prisoners to the chief captain of the host: but Paul was suffered to dwell alone with one Soldier that kept him.