Bible Story Joseph and His Brothers - Bible Stories for Kids

Home >> Sunday School >> Bible Stories >> Bible Story Joseph and His Brothers

Bible Story Joseph and His Brothers

Genesis 41:33-42:3

Listen to Audio Version

Joseph stood before the pharaoh. Hetook a deep breath. "Pharaoh shouldput someone in charge of all the foodin Egypt. Store the extra away. Whenthe crops fail, the people can eat the food in the storehouses. Then they won't have to go hungry."

Pharaoh called his advisers. They nodded their heads and mumbled some more. They stood as Pharaoh spoke, "Your God isyou in a very special way. He.ps you to see where others arend. I feel I can trust you. You willoe the man for this job. You will rulehouse, my people and all the foodres in the land. There will be no greater than you in all of Egypt except for myself."

Joseph staggered back a step. Justit morning he had been a prisoner.:w Pharaoh was giving him an:yptian name. It meant "God-eaks; He Lives," because Pharaohew God had spoken through Joseph.

During the next years it happenedjust the way Joseph had said it would.There were seven years of good crops.Joseph filled all the storehouses, thenbuilt new ones and filled those too.When the seven bad years came,Egypt was the only country with food.People froth all over went there to findsomething to eat.

The famine, as the years withoutfood were called, reached all the wayinto the land of Canaan. That waswhere Joseph's father and brothersstill lived. They had grown rich duringthe seven good years. Once the sevenbad years started, though, Jacob andhis eleven sons ran out of food. Mostof the sons were grown up and hadfamilies of their own to feed. Everyonewas hungry.

The brothers grumbled, "What willwe do now? Where will we find food?"Jacob knew there was food inEgypt. He had heard that from somemerchants traveling through the area.He told his sons, "If you don't want tostarve to death, then go to Egypt.Take money with you and buy ussome food."

The brothers loaded up their camelsand donkeys. They rode off towardEgypt. Not all of Jacob's sons left,however. Benjamin stayed at home.

Benjamin was JacOb's favorite son.After losing Joseph, Jacob never letthis last child of Rachel's out of hissight. Jacob still missed Josephterribly. But Benjamin made his fatherlaugh and smile. "No," Jacob thought"Benjamin must stay here with me.What would I do if I lost Rachel'ssecond child as well as her first?"

Together Benjamin and Jacob waved at the ten brothers. Soon all they could see was a cloud of dust.Jacob took Benjamin's hand. The father and son began to pray. They prayed for the ten brothers. Theyprayed they would be kept safe andwould come home soon.

When the brothers arrived in Egyptthey went straight to the man incharge of selling grain. That wasJoseph. They did not see who he was.Joseph looked and acted too much like an Egyptian.

Joseph knew who they were,though. Yet he did not tell them.Instead he called them spies.

"We're not spies, we're brothers!"They told him. "There were twelve of.us but one is gone and the youngest iswith our father."

"I don't believe you," Joseph said.If you're not spies, then prove it. Bring the youngest to me. In the meantime, I will keep one of you as prisoner." Joseph pointed at his brother Simeon.

The brothers stood with their-nouths open. Then Joseph said, "But all of you must spend three days inprison."

When the three days were over,the ten brothers rode home.

On the way they discovered that themoney they had used to pay for thegrain had been given back to them."Oh no," they moaned. "The Egyptianwill think we stole the grain."

When the brothers arrived home,they told Jacob what had happened.They asked if they could takeBenjamin back to Egypt.

"Absolutely not! No one is takingmy Benjamin from me. No. Benjaminstays here." Jacob would not evenlisten to the brothers. He thought, "It isbad enough that Joseph is dead. Nowthey have left Simeon behind. No, theywill never take Benjamin away."

Other Bible Stories for Children:

Home :: Contact Us :: About Us :: Privacy Policy :: Terms of Use :: Site Map