As we’re translating backwards, we now find ourselves at the start of chapter 3. This is material from the biblical book of Judges.
1. Later the sons of Israel began to visit the surrounding nations, marrying and giving in marriage their daughters and worshiping the idols, i.e. Ba‘alīm (1), ‘Ashtārūt and Bā‘il. The sons of Israel were then subjugated by Kūshān Rish‘atāym, king of Aram (2), i.e. the king of Tyre and Sidon, called for this reason “the king of the two seas” (3). He ruled the people for eight years with firmness and cruelty. There were so many afflictions upon the sons of Israel that they began to worship God, abandoning their impiety. Then the young ‘Ithā‘īl, son of Qinān and brother of Kālib (4), of the tribe of Judah rebelled, fought against Kūshān Rish‘atāym and killed him. He ruled the people for forty years. At the death of ‘Ithā‘īl, the sons of Israel began to worship the idols. ‘Aqlūn, king of Moab, gathered the Ammonites and the Amalekites (5), marched against the sons of Israel and conquered them, occupying the city of Fīq (6). The children of Israel served him and were under his domination for eighteen years, between anguish and cruelty of all kinds. The sons of Israel chose one of their men named Ihūd, son of Gara, of the tribe of Ephraim (7) – he was left-handed, strong and daring – and sent him with gifts to ‘Aqlūn, king of Moab. When he was in the presence of the king with gifts, he said to him: “I need to tell the king a secret, and I would therefore like to speak to him separately”. He stood face to face with the king, and stabbed him with a dagger which he had with him, and killed him. He went out, closed the door of the king’s meeting room and told his advisors: “The king has ordered that no one come to him” (8). Ihūd then ran away and joined his men. He gathered a group of soldiers and went out against the city of Moab, occupied it, killed all those who were there and destroyed it. He ruled the people for fifty-five years. After him there ruled over the people Sim`ān (9), son of ‘Anāt, for twenty-five years. The Philistines waged war and killed six hundred. Sim‘ān died.
2. After his death the children of Israel returned to the worship of idols. Nāyīn (10), king of Canaan, originally from a city named Hāsūr (11), subdued them to his dominion. A man named Sīsarā was the head of his soldiers. He ruled the people for twenty-five years, afflicting them with anguish and pain. In his day there prophesied Dibūrā, wife of al-Qandūn (12), of the tribe of Ephraim. Dibūrā lived between ar-Rāma and Bethel and served as a judge among the sons of Israel. A large group of Israelites came to her and said to her: “You know in what anguish and afflictions we live. Nāyīn (13), king of Canaan, has enslaved us. [Why don’t] you govern the sons of Israel and liberate them from the hands of Nāyīn (14), king of Canaan”. Dibūrā chose Bāraq, son of Abū Nu‘am, of the tribe of Nifthālīm, and entrusted him with the government of the people. In another text it says: “And she gave him the command of the army”. Bāraq took ten thousand Israelites from among the sons of Nifthālīm and Zābūlūn, and together with Dibūrā (15) they ascended Mount Thābūr (16). When Sīsarā, Lieutenant of Nāyīn (17), learned of it, he came out against them. The sons of Israel came down from the mountain and defeated him, killing all who were with Sīsarā, lieutenant of Nāyīn (18). Sīsarā managed to escape and sheltered under the tent of Yā‘īl, wife of Hābir al-Qaynī, i.e. of the descendants of Qā’in, the father-in-law of Moses called [also] Yaru (19). [The woman] hid him from them. [Sisara] asked her for some water to drink and she poured him some milk to put him to the test and see if he was able to discern. That was how he drank milk, thinking he had drunk water. Then the woman made him lie down and hammered a peg into his temple, so that he was pinned to the earth and died. Dibūrā found him when he was already dead. Dibūrā and Bāraq went out against Nāyīn (20), king of Canaan, defeated him and killed him along with his men. Dibūrā ruled the people for forty years. At her death the sons of Israel resumed adoring idols. The Midianites ‘Ūzīb and Zīb (21) subdued them to their power and oppressed the people for seven years amid continued distress and afflictions, taking their flocks, cows and possessions.