027:034 Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads." 027:035 When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat. 027:036 Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 027:037 In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 027:038 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 027:039 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. 027:040 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. 027:041 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. 027:042 The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 027:043 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 toward the land; 027:044 and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land. 028:001 When we had escaped, then they{NU reads "we"} learned that the island was called Malta. 028:002 The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 028:003 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. 028:004 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." 028:005 However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn't harmed. 028:006 But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 028:007 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 028:008 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 028:009 Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured.