Then humbly Loth[33] bowed at the feet of the strangers 2440 and eagerly offered them the repose and refreshments and shelter and service of his dwelling. They accepted thankfully the benevolence of the good man, and followed him forthwith inside his walls, as the Hebrew chieftain invited them. There in his hall the generous wise- 2445 souled man gave them fair hospitality, until twilight departed: then came night, after the close of day, and veiled with darkness the lake-streams, seas, and broad 2450 land, and [all] the pomp of this life. Then the men of Sodoma came, young and old, hateful to God, to demand the strangers, with a great throng so that they surrounded 2455 Loth and his guests by the multitude of their force; they bade [him] lead out of the lofty hall the holy mess- engers [and put] the men in their power; they said 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 crowd of citizens forthwith became blind; nor could they, in their evil rage, break into the house after the guests, as they intended, but the messengers of God were [too] active for them; the stranger had power, irre- 2495 sistible vigor, and was very severe upon the people in [inflicting] punishment. Then the dear ministers of peace spoke fairly to Loth, in these words: