Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his other sons. He even gave Joseph a tunic -- a robe -- and a colorful one at that. 
Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They wouldn't even talk to him without getting angry or irritated with Joseph.
Joseph was only seventeen, but in spite of how his brothers treated him everyday, he loved and cared for them.
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his other sons. He even gave Joseph a tunic – a robe -- and a colorful one at that.
Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They wouldn't even talk to him without getting angry or irritated with Joseph.
Joseph was only seventeen, but in spite of how his brothers treated him everyday, he loved and cared for them.
Now Joseph was also a dreamer. He told his first dream to his brothers.
"A dream?" asked one of his brothers. "We don't want to hear any of your dreams, Joseph. We have plenty of work to do!"
"Please, listen to my dream," Joseph said. "We were in the field binding sheaves. Suddenly, my sheaf rose and stood straight, and your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
"What are you trying to tell us?" one of his brothers asked angrily. "That you will reign over us?"
And the brothers hated Joseph even more.
Joseph's dreams didn't stop there. He had another dream.
"I dreamed that the sun, moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me," he told his brothers and father.
When Jacob heard this, he rebuked Joseph, while his brothers envied and hated him even more.
One day, Joseph's brothers went to feed their flock in a place called Shechem.
Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers to find out if everything was all right with his flocks.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, his brothers weren't there.
"I'm looking for my brothers," Joseph told a man who found him there. "Can you tell me where they went?"
"I heard them talking about going to Dothan," answered the man.
Joseph thanked the man and went to Dothan. His brothers spotted him even before he saw them. Because they hated Joseph so much, they agreed to kill him.
"That dreamer is here," one said. "Let's kill him and throw him in the pit and tell our father that lions killed him."
"No, don't kill Joseph," Reuben said. "Just throw him in a pit. After all, this is a far place and no one would hear him if he shouts."
Reuben wanted to convince his brothers. He was going to save Joseph later and bring him back to their father.
The brothers agreed. When Joseph arrived, they grabbed him, removed his colorful tunic, and threw him in a pit.
Then they all ate a meal. A few moments later, they saw merchants on camels going to Egypt.
"What will we gain by killing Joseph?" asked Judah. "Let's sell him to these merchants instead!"
The brothers agreed, except for Reuben who was not there.
And so they sold Joseph for twenty shekels of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt.
Before the brothers went home, they killed a kid of one of their goats. Then they dipped Joseph's colorful tunic in the blood.
When they arrive home, they showed the tunic to their father. Jacob was heartbroken.
"My son Joseph is dead," Jacob mourned. "I will die mourning my beloved son."
Contrary to what Jacob thought, Joseph was very alive.
When he was sold by his brothers to merchants going to Egypt, these merchants sold him too. They sold Joseph to an Egyptian named Potiphar.
Potiphar was an officer of Pharaoh. He was also the captain of the guard. God loved and favored Joseph and He was with Joseph all the time
Joseph lived in Potiphar's house and served Potiphar and his family.
But Potiphar's wife was wicked and she tried to convince Joseph to lie with her and commit adultery.
Joseph was a good man so he refused her attempts. But one day, she grabbed Joseph's garment and asked him to sin again. Joseph ran and his garment was left with Potiphar's wife.
She used the garment to destroy Joseph. When Potiphar came home later that night, she showed him Joseph's garment and lied that Joseph had tried to force her but she screamed.
Potiphar believed his wife and threw Joseph in jail. But still, God didn't abandon Joseph.
A short time later, the king of Egypt had his chief butler and chief baker thrown to prison too.
One night, both of them had a dream and Joseph interpreted their dreams.
"There was a vine with three branches," began the butler. "The branches had ripe grapes. Then I saw that I was holding Pharaoh's cup. So I took the grapes and pressed them to the cup, and afterwards, I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."
"The three branches are three days," said Joseph. "In three days, the Pharaoh will put you back in your place. You'll become the chief butler again."
The butler nodded and Joseph continued.
"Remember me when you are back in the Pharaoh's house," Joseph requested. "Let the Pharaoh know about me. I want to get out of this place. I was stolen and I have not done any crime."
Then the chief baker told Joseph his dream too.
"I dreamed that three white baskets were on my head," began the baker. "The basket on top had all kinds of baked goods for the Pharaoh, but the birds ate them all."
"The three baskets are three days," said Joseph. "In three days the Pharaoh will have you hanged on a tree, and birds will eat your flesh."
On the third day was the Pharaoh's birthday and he made a feast for all his servants.
Joseph's interpretation of the two dreams came true - the chief butler was made chief butler again, and the chief baker was hanged.
The sad news for Joseph is that that the chief butler forgot all about Joseph.
So Joseph stayed in prison for two full years more.
But God was still with him...
Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They wouldn't even talk to him without getting angry or irritated with Joseph.
Joseph was only seventeen, but in spite of how his brothers treated him everyday, he loved and cared for them.
Joseph was Jacob's favorite son. Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved his other sons. He even gave Joseph a tunic – a robe -- and a colorful one at that.
Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They wouldn't even talk to him without getting angry or irritated with Joseph.
Joseph was only seventeen, but in spite of how his brothers treated him everyday, he loved and cared for them.
Now Joseph was also a dreamer. He told his first dream to his brothers.
"A dream?" asked one of his brothers. "We don't want to hear any of your dreams, Joseph. We have plenty of work to do!"
"Please, listen to my dream," Joseph said. "We were in the field binding sheaves. Suddenly, my sheaf rose and stood straight, and your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
"What are you trying to tell us?" one of his brothers asked angrily. "That you will reign over us?"
And the brothers hated Joseph even more.
Joseph's dreams didn't stop there. He had another dream.
"I dreamed that the sun, moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me," he told his brothers and father.
When Jacob heard this, he rebuked Joseph, while his brothers envied and hated him even more.
One day, Joseph's brothers went to feed their flock in a place called Shechem.
Jacob sent Joseph to his brothers to find out if everything was all right with his flocks.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, his brothers weren't there.
"I'm looking for my brothers," Joseph told a man who found him there. "Can you tell me where they went?"
"I heard them talking about going to Dothan," answered the man.
Joseph thanked the man and went to Dothan. His brothers spotted him even before he saw them. Because they hated Joseph so much, they agreed to kill him.
"That dreamer is here," one said. "Let's kill him and throw him in the pit and tell our father that lions killed him."
"No, don't kill Joseph," Reuben said. "Just throw him in a pit. After all, this is a far place and no one would hear him if he shouts."
Reuben wanted to convince his brothers. He was going to save Joseph later and bring him back to their father.
The brothers agreed. When Joseph arrived, they grabbed him, removed his colorful tunic, and threw him in a pit.
Then they all ate a meal. A few moments later, they saw merchants on camels going to Egypt.
"What will we gain by killing Joseph?" asked Judah. "Let's sell him to these merchants instead!"
The brothers agreed, except for Reuben who was not there.
And so they sold Joseph for twenty shekels of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt.
Before the brothers went home, they killed a kid of one of their goats. Then they dipped Joseph's colorful tunic in the blood.
When they arrive home, they showed the tunic to their father. Jacob was heartbroken.
"My son Joseph is dead," Jacob mourned. "I will die mourning my beloved son."
Contrary to what Jacob thought, Joseph was very alive.
When he was sold by his brothers to merchants going to Egypt, these merchants sold him too. They sold Joseph to an Egyptian named Potiphar.
Potiphar was an officer of Pharaoh. He was also the captain of the guard. God loved and favored Joseph and He was with Joseph all the time
Joseph lived in Potiphar's house and served Potiphar and his family.
But Potiphar's wife was wicked and she tried to convince Joseph to lie with her and commit adultery.
Joseph was a good man so he refused her attempts. But one day, she grabbed Joseph's garment and asked him to sin again. Joseph ran and his garment was left with Potiphar's wife.
She used the garment to destroy Joseph. When Potiphar came home later that night, she showed him Joseph's garment and lied that Joseph had tried to force her but she screamed.
Potiphar believed his wife and threw Joseph in jail. But still, God didn't abandon Joseph.
A short time later, the king of Egypt had his chief butler and chief baker thrown to prison too.
One night, both of them had a dream and Joseph interpreted their dreams.
"There was a vine with three branches," began the butler. "The branches had ripe grapes. Then I saw that I was holding Pharaoh's cup. So I took the grapes and pressed them to the cup, and afterwards, I placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand."
"The three branches are three days," said Joseph. "In three days, the Pharaoh will put you back in your place. You'll become the chief butler again."
The butler nodded and Joseph continued.
"Remember me when you are back in the Pharaoh's house," Joseph requested. "Let the Pharaoh know about me. I want to get out of this place. I was stolen and I have not done any crime."
Then the chief baker told Joseph his dream too.
"I dreamed that three white baskets were on my head," began the baker. "The basket on top had all kinds of baked goods for the Pharaoh, but the birds ate them all."
"The three baskets are three days," said Joseph. "In three days the Pharaoh will have you hanged on a tree, and birds will eat your flesh."
On the third day was the Pharaoh's birthday and he made a feast for all his servants.
Joseph's interpretation of the two dreams came true - the chief butler was made chief butler again, and the chief baker was hanged.
The sad news for Joseph is that that the chief butler forgot all about Joseph.
So Joseph stayed in prison for two full years more.
But God was still with him...
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