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.
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