Acts 28:1-6

Expanded Bible

Paul on the Island of Malta

28 When we ·were safe on land [reached safety], we learned that the island was called Malta [^C58 miles southwest of Sicily]. ² The ·people who lived there [native people; ^Lbarbarians; ^Ca term referring to non-Greek speakers] were very ·good [kind] to us. Because it was raining and very cold, they made a fire and welcomed all of us. ³ Paul gathered a pile of ·sticks [brushwood] and was putting them on the fire when a ·poisonous snake [viper] came out because of the heat and ·bit [^Lfastened itself to] him on the hand. ⁴ The ·people living on the island [native people; 28:2] saw the ·snake [^Lcreature; animal] hanging from Paul’s hand and said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He ·did not die in [^Lescaped from] the sea, but Justice [^LDikē; ^Cpronounced di-káy); the goddess of justice] ·does not want [has not allowed] him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the ·snake [^Lcreature; animal] off into the fire and ·was not hurt [suffered no harm]. ⁶ ·The people [^LThey] thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing ·bad [^Lunusual] happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, “He is a god!”