³ Because he had nine hundred ·iron [iron-clad; iron-fitted; 1:19] chariots and ·was very cruel to [harshly oppressed] the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

⁴ A prophetess named Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was ·judging [leading; 2:16] Israel at that time. ⁵ Deborah would sit under the Palm Tree of Deborah, which was between the cities of Ramah and Bethel, in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. And the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel would come to her ·to settle their arguments [^Lfor judgment].