Joseph and His Brothers
A boy with a colourful coat is treated badly by his brothers — and grows up to forgive them.
Read aloud in about five minutes.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”
Genesis 50:20
- Joseph is given a coat of many colours
- His brothers sell him to traders
The colourful coat
Joseph was one of twelve brothers, and his father Jacob loved him dearly — so dearly that he gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colours. His brothers noticed, and it made them jealous.
Joseph also had dreams, and he told his brothers about them. In the dreams, his family bowed down to him. That did not help.
- He works honestly in Egypt
- He explains the king's dreams
Sold away
One day, out in the fields, the brothers' jealousy boiled over. They took Joseph's coat and sold him to traders heading for Egypt, then told their father he had been lost.
In Egypt, Joseph was a long way from home and had nothing. But he worked hard and stayed honest, and people noticed. Eventually he was brought to the king, because Joseph could understand what dreams meant.
- Egypt stores grain for the famine
- Joseph forgives his brothers
A famine, and a choice
Joseph warned the king that seven good harvests would be followed by seven hungry years, and Egypt stored grain for the bad years. When the famine came, Egypt had food — and Joseph was put in charge of it.
His brothers travelled to Egypt looking for grain, not knowing who they were speaking to. Joseph recognised them at once. He could have sent them away. Instead he wept, told them who he was, and forgave them, and the family was together again.
Something to print
A colouring page, a cut-and-stick craft and six talking questions come with this story.