openly in words that they would have intercourse with
the men shamefully, and had no regard for decency. Then 2460
Loth, who often knew what was best, quickly arose in his
house, and went out at once; and the son of Aron, mindful
of his cunning, spoke thus over all the mass of people:

"Here are within two spotless [maidens], my daughters: 2465
neither of these damsels knows intercourse as yet through
sleeping with a man: do then as I bid you, and cease
from this sin. I give them both to you, before you
commit this vileness against nature, heinous evil against 2470
the sons of men. Receive these maidens and let my
guests go free, since I will defend them against you as
well as I can, before God!"

Thereupon the crowd, the shameless race, answered 2475
him through common consent:

"It seems very right and fitting that thou shouldst
depart out of this neighborhood, thou who bereft of
friends and with the step of an exile soughtest this people
from afar, in thy need: wilt thou, if thou mayst, be our 2480
ruler here, the teacher of the people?"

Then I heard of Loth how the heathen masses gripped
him with their hands, with hostile grasp: his guests
aided him well and the righteous strangers drew him 2485
out of the clutches of the enemy back within the walls,
and then speedily closed fast the eyesight of every one
of the people of Sodoma standing around: the whole 2490