28:1 After we had safely reached shore, 1 we learned that the island was called Malta. 2 28:2 The local inhabitants 3 showed us extraordinary 4 kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain 5 and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood 6 and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 28:4 When the local people 7 saw the creature hanging from Paul’s 8 hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself 9 has not allowed him to live!” 10 28:5 However, 11 Paul 12 shook 13 the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up 14 or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited 15 a long time and had seen 16 nothing unusual happen 17 to him, they changed their minds 18 and said he was a god. 19
28:7 Now in the region around that place 20 were fields belonging to the chief official 21 of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father 22 of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him 23 and after praying, placed 24 his hands on him and healed 25 him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick 26 also came and were healed. 27 28:10 They also bestowed many honors, 28 and when we were preparing to sail, 29 they gave 30 us all the supplies we needed. 31
28:11 After three months we put out to sea 32 in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” 33 as its figurehead. 34 28:12 We put in 35 at Syracuse 36 and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off 37 and arrived at Rhegium, 38 and after one day a south wind sprang up 39 and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 40 28:14 There 41 we found 42 some brothers 43 and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. 44 28:15 The brothers from there, 45 when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius 46 and Three Taverns 47 to meet us. When he saw them, 48 Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live 49 by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
28:17 After three days 50 Paul 51 called the local Jewish leaders 52 together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, 53 although I had done 54 nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, 55 from Jerusalem 56 I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 57 28:18 When 58 they had heard my case, 59 they wanted to release me, 60 because there was no basis for a death sentence 61 against me.