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JULY 29
anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to onto which they planned to run the ship if pos-
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come. And as the sailors were seeking to sible. And they let go the anchors and left
escape from the ship, when they had let down them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder
the skiff into the sea, under pretense of put- ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the
ting out anchors from the prow, Paul said to wind and made for shore. But striking a place
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the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these where two seas met, they ran the ship aground;
men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” and the prow stuck fast and remained immov-
32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the able, but the stern was being broken up by the
skiff and let it fall off. violence of the waves.
33 And as day was about to dawn, Paul 42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prison-
implored them all to take food, saying, “Today ers, lest any of them should swim away and
is the fourteenth day you have waited and con- escape. But the centurion, wanting to save
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tinued without food, and eaten nothing. Paul, kept them from their purpose, and com-
34 Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for manded that those who could swim should
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this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall jump overboard first and get to land, and the
from the head of any of you.” And when he rest, some on boards and some on parts of the
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had said these things, he took bread and gave ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely
thanks to God in the presence of them all; and to land.
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when he had broken it he began to eat. Then
they were all encouraged, and also took food
themselves. And in all we were two hundred
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and seventy-six persons on the ship. So when
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they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship 27:42 the soldiers’ plan was to kill the pris-
and threw out the wheat into the sea. oners. Knowing they could face punishment or
39 When it was day, they did not recognize the death if their prisoners escaped (12:19; 16:27).
land; but they observed a bay with a beach,
DAY 28: How do repentance from sin and rejoicing go together?
In response to the people’s request,Ezra brought the Law of the Lord to the people (Nehemiah
8:1).At this time, the Law was a scroll, as opposed to a text consisting of bound pages.Such a read-
ing was required every 7 years at the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut.31:10–13),even though it had been
neglected since the Babylonian captivity until this occasion.
From daybreak to noon, a period of at least 6 hours, the Law was read and explained. Other
men,probably priests,stood with Ezra to show agreement,and all of the people stood,as well (Neh.
8:5).This was in respect for God’s Word, as though they were in the presence of God Himself. Some
of the Levites assisted Ezra with the people’s understanding of the Scripture by reading and
explaining it (vv. 7,8).This may have involved translation for people who were only Aramaic speak-
ers in exile, but more likely it means “to break down”the text into its parts so that the people could
understand it.This was an exposition or explanation of the meaning and not just translation.
When the people heard and understood God’s law, they wept (v. 9). Not tears of joy, but peni-
tent sorrow (v. 10) came forth as they were grieved by conviction (v. 11) over the distressing mani-
festations of sin in transgressing the Lord’s commands and the consequent punishments they had
suffered in their captivity.
The event called for a holy day of worship to prepare them for the hard days ahead (12:43),so
they were encouraged to rejoice.The words they had heard did remind them that God punishes sin,
but also that God blesses obedience.That was reason to celebrate.“Do not sorrow,for the joy of the
LORD is your strength” (8:10). They had not been utterly destroyed as a nation, in spite of their sin,
and were, by God’s grace, on the brink of a new beginning.That called for celebration.

Nehemiah the governor, the son of
July 29 Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 3
Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur,
2
4
Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah,
5
Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
Nehemiah 10:1–11:36
7
Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam,
6
8
Now those who placed their seal on the Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and
10 document were: Shemaiah. These were the priests.
763