Acts 28:1-9 ▼

1 When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

2 The natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and took us all in because of the rain that had started and because of the cold.

3 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 itself on his hand.

4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”

5 However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

6 Now they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighboring parts of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us warmly for three days.

8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with a recurring fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after he prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

9 After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being cured.