The document tells the story of Joseph from the Bible. Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob and was given a special coat by his father. Joseph's brothers became jealous of him and sold him into slavery after he told them dreams that implied he would rule over them. God had a plan for Joseph, and through many trials, Joseph rose to become the governor of Egypt and was able to save his family and the surrounding nations from famine. The story illustrates that even through difficulties, God is with us and has a plan for our lives.

1. Jacob, one of the patriarchs of Israel, had twelve sons.
Joseph was the favorite of all his sons
because Joseph was born to him in his old age.
He was also the most obedient of all his sons.

2. Lovingly, Jacob gave him a special gift- a
resplendent and unusually colored coat.

3. Now what do you think Joseph’s eleven brothers
felt when they saw Joseph wearing his new coat?

4. They became envious and
treated Joseph badly.

5. Then one night, Joseph had a strange dream- the sun, moon and
eleven stars bowed low before him. When he told this dream to
his family, they were adamant and angry.

6. “What does that mean?” his father Jacob asked,
“that we will all bow before you?”

7. All the more, Joseph’s brothers grew to hate him.
But his father Jacob thought about the dream
and wondered what it meant.

8. Joseph’s father didn’t know that
it was God’s way of showing Joseph
His wonderful plan for Joseph’s life.

9. Like Joseph, God has a plan for your life too!
Most of the time, like Joseph, we don’t see
what God is doing. We just have to have faith.

10. One day the brothers
got their chance
to do something
bad to Joseph.
They were all out
in the fields then,
supposedly working.

11. When they saw Joseph
approaching
in his fancy coat,
the colors glinting
in the sun,
they thought
their father
sent him
to spy on them.

12. “Let’s kill him!” one of the brothers said angrily.
They ripped his colorful coat off him,
and shoved Joseph into an empty well.
After, they cunningly soiled the beautiful coat
with goat’s blood and gave it to their father Jacob.

13. When some traders of goods came by with
a caravan of camels, Judah convinced the other brothers
that it would be better to sell Joseph to the traders.
They all agreed,
And they sold Joseph,
their very own brother,
for twenty
pieces of silver!

14. I’m sure you’re thinking I wouldn’t sell my brother
or sister for any amount of money! It’s unthinkable!
But sometimes we do bad things when we are
with our friends and they have a bad idea.

15. We don’t want to speak up and say,
“NO, we shouldn’t do that! It’s bad!”
because our friends will say we’re not cool,
or we’re spoiling all the fun!

16. Poor Joseph! What could he have been thinking!
For all his dreams, he couldn’t have foreseen
his terrible misfortune.

17. He didn’t know that God was with him all this time,
and that God had a plan. A plan too marvelous
and exciting for any man to conceive!

18. God has a wonderful plan for your life too!

19. While Jacob wailed loudly and mourned his son,
Joseph was on his way to Egypt,
where he was sold to Potiphar,
the chief steward of Pharaoh.

20. After some time
with Potiphar’s
household,
Joseph became
his trusted servant
and was put
in charge of
everything.

21. The Lord blessed Joseph and blessed Potiphar's house
and all the crops in his fields and everything he owned.

22. Now Joseph grew to become not only intelligent
but also handsome and strong.
All was well until the wife of Potiphar
asked him to do something wrong.

23. Joseph said,
“My master
Potiphar trusts me.
I cannot do something
that is wrong
in the sight of
God and man!”

24. Joseph’s main concern
was what would God thinkthat’s why
he was brave enough
to defy Potiphar’s wife!

25. Joseph was thrown
into jail even if
he did no wrong.
Are you wondering
if this was part of
God’s plan too?

26. Joseph was also
wondering where
God was that night.
He was miserable.
Well, Joseph didn’t
know that God was
still with him
in that prison.

27. The chief jailer
found Joseph to be a
trustworthy man
and put him in charge
of the prison.

28. At this time, Pharaoh sent his royal wine steward
and his royal baker to prison because
he didn’t like the food and drink they served him.
The jailer assigned Joseph to be their servant.

29. One day, he noticed
that both the
royal steward
and the royal baker
were looking
very worried.
“What’s wrong?”
he asked them.

30. “We’ve both had dreams and we don’t know
what they mean,” they answered.

31. Joseph looked
at them and asked,
“Is it not God who
gives the gift
to interpret dreams?
Tell me your dreams.”

32. The wine steward described his dream first,
“In my dream there was a grapevine with three branches
and clusters of ripe grapes.
I took the grapes
and squeezed it into
Pharaoh’s cup and
he drank the wine.”

33. “Well, “said Joseph with a smile, “the three branches
are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will have you
released and will restore you to your former position.”

34. The wine steward was pleased and Joseph reminded
him, “Please remember me when you are working for
the Pharaoh.
Perhaps you will put
in a good word for
me so I can be
released. After all I
didn’t do anything
wrong!”

35. “Well, how about my dream?”
the royal baker asked, eagerly. “I was carrying
three baskets of bread on my head.
The birds came
and ate the baked
cakes on the top
basket.”

36. Joseph was quite hesitant to reveal what the baker’s
dream meant for it was not good news at all. At the
baker’s insistence, he said,
“The three
baskets are
three days.
You too will be
released,
but Pharaoh will
have your
head cut off!”

37. It was the Pharaoh’s
birthday
and he called for his
royal wine steward
and his royal baker.

38. He had the baker executed,
and he forgave
the wine steward.

39. You’d think the
wine steward would
remember Joseph
but he forgot all about him!

40. Two long years went by
until the wine steward
would think of Joseph.
The opportunity came
when the Pharaoh
was frustrated
with all the wise men
of Egypt for they
could not interpret
his dreams about cows
and grain.

41. “I know who can
interpret your dream, Sire! There is a
young Hebrew in jail who interpreted
my dream for me- and it came true
exactly like he said it would!”

42. Pharaoh summoned Joseph to come before him.
“I hear you can
interpret dreams?”

43. No, that is beyond my
ability. But God can
easily do that.

44. “Well, here is my dream. See if you know the meaning of it. Seven fat cows
were grazing beside the river. Then along came seven thin and ugly cows. They
swallowed the seven fat cows!” the Pharaoh recounted.

45. Joseph told Pharaoh the meaning of his dream.
“The seven fat cows are seven years of plenty. But this will be
followed by seven years of famine. This will happen
just as I have said. God has decreed this.”

46. “What you have to do
is appoint the wisest man
in Egypt to
manage the harvest,”
Joseph advised.

47. “During the seven years of plenty,
he should collect one-fifth of all the
crops and store them in warehouses.
That way, you will have enough food for
the seven years of famine.
If you do not do this, your people will
die.”

48. Pharaoh listened well to
all Joseph had said.
After discussing this matter
with the Royal Advisers,
Pharaoh called Joseph.

49. “We have decided to appoint you for the
job.
You obviously are filled with God’s spirit,
so who better to do this?
You will manage my household
and my people.
Only I, the Pharaoh,
will have more authority than you!”

50. As a symbol of
Joseph’s authority
over all the land
of Egypt,
Pharaoh gave him
his signet ring,
kingly garments,
and a chariot.

51. Just as Joseph said,
there were seven years
of prosperity.
He collected the grain
and stored them
in several royal
warehouses.

52. After the years of plenty,
the famine not only
affected Egypt,
but also Canaan as well.
Jacob sent his sons
to Egypt to ask for food.
Joseph was the governor
of all Egypt,
so the 10 brothers
went to him.

53. They bowed low
before him,
and Joseph looked
so powerful and
full of authority.

54. The brothers didn’t
recognize him.
Joseph pretended
not to know them
and questioned
them harshly.
He even accused them
of being spies.
Who can blame him
for giving them
a hard time?

55. But the amazing thing is Joseph did not want
to take revenge on his brothers. He sent them home
with lots of grain.

56. The only thing he required was they would bring back
the youngest son, Benjamin, to prove the truth of all
they told him.

57. The brothers went back
with Benjamin in tow.
Joseph almost cried
when he saw his
younger brother.
He finally told them
the truththat he was Joseph.

58. “Is my father still alive?” he asked his incredulous and
fearful brothers. When he learned that Jacob was still
alive he cried even more. His sobs could be heard
throughout the palace!

59. When Joseph saw
that his brothers
were petrified,
he reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid.
I believe God
sent me here
to preserve your lives.
These two years
of famine will reach
seven years and there
will be no more grain.”

60. “Bring my
father here,
bring all
your families,
and I will
take care of you!
It is all God’s plan!
Do you see
how He has turned
something bad
into good?”
Joseph rejoiced.

61. Maybe you and your family are having a hard time right
now, but if you trust God, obey Him, follow His way of
doing good, He can change it into good!
That is His promise!

62. In Romans 8:28, God says: “And we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.”

63. Like Joseph, God has a plan for your life. If you have
trust in Him, do your best, and obey Him, He will take
care of you and bless you!

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