Children Bible Stories

After two years, Pharaoh had weird dreams.

In the first dream, Pharaoh was standing by the side of the river. Suddenly, seven fat cows arose from the water and went to eat grass in the meadow. Then seven skinny cows arose from the water and eat up the seven fat cows.

In the second dream, Pharaoh dreamed that seven good grains sprung up from the field. But suddenly seven grain with thin heads arose from the field and eats up the seven good grains.

After that, Pharaoh was very troubled. Pharaoh called every wise man in Egypt to interpret his dreams but no one can understand the meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams.

The chief cupbearer remembered Joseph can interpret dreams.

The chief cupbearer said, “When I was in prison with the chief baker, I had a dream and man there called Joseph interpret our dream. It was just as he had said. I was restored to my position and the chief baker was hanged.”

Pharaoh quickly sends for Joseph in the prison. Pharaoh told Joseph about his dreams.

And Joseph said, “The seven fat cows and seven good grains means seven years of good harvest. Whereas the seven skinny cows and seven grain with thin heads means seven years of famine.

The dream means that there will be seven years of good harvest and seven years of famine. You dreamed the same dream twice because God confirmed that it is going to happen.

Now Pharaoh has to choose a wise man who will oversee all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also should appoint officers in all over Egypt to collect one fifth of all grains and store them in the cities during the seven plentiful years so that Egypt will have food during the seven years of famine. ”

Pharaoh agreed with Joseph’s suggestion. Pharaoh then appoints Joseph as governor of Egypt. Pharaoh also gives the Asenath, the daughter of the chief priest Poti-Pherah priest of On as wife.

Pharaoh gives Joseph a new name called Zaphnath-Paneah.

So Joseph started to collect one fifth of all the grains in Egypt and keep them in the storehouse. The grains were so much like the sands of the seashore.

After the seven years of plenty, the seven years of famine came.

The famine was so severe that there was no food in the land. So Joseph opened up the storehouse and started to sell the grains to the people.

It happened that the chief baker and chief cupbearer made Pharaoh unhappy and was thrown into the prison.

One night, the chief baker and chief cupbearer both have a dream.

The chief baker and chief cupbearer were unhappy and troubled because they couldn’t understand what the dream means.

Joseph came in and saw their sad looking face. And Joseph said, “What is it that you are unhappy about?”

They replied, “We each had a dream last night, but no one can interpret the dream for us.”

Joseph said, “Dream interpretations come from God. I can help you to interpret the dreams. Please tell me what you dreamed last night.”

The cupbearer told Joseph, “In my dream, there is a vine with three branches that is full of blossoms. There are many grapes on the vine. I had Pharaoh’s cup in my hand so I took the grapes and squeezed the grape’s juice into Pharaoh’s cup. Then I give the cup to Pharaoh.”

And Joseph said, “The three branches mean three days. Your dream means that Pharaoh will restore you back as the chief cupbearer in three days.”

When the chief baker saw that Joseph gives the chief cupbearer a good interpretation, he too told Joseph about his dream.

The chief baker said, “I too had a dream. In my dream, I was carrying a three white basket on my head. The top basket is full of all kinds of food baked for Pharaoh and the birds were pecking them out of the basket.”

Joseph said, “The three white baskets means three days. In three days, Pharaoh will hang you on the tree. The birds will then come and peck on your flesh.”

Then Joseph said to the chief cupbearer, “After Pharaoh had restored you into position, please mention me to Pharaoh so that I can get out of this prison.” The chief cupbearer agreed to help Joseph.

And so it was just as Joseph had said. After three days, the cupbearer was restored back to his position but Pharaoh hanged the chief baker.

After the cupbearer was restored back, he forgot about what he promised Joseph and never mentioned about it to Pharaoh.

Joseph was sold to Potiphar in Egypt. Potiphar worked for pharaoh as a captain of the guard. Because God was with Joseph, everything that Joseph does is a success.

Potiphar saw that whatever Joseph do, the Lord’s blessing is there and Joseph won his favoritism.

And so Potiphar made Joseph the head of his household and all his possessions.

Joseph is a handsome man. The wife of Potiphar began to lust after Joseph and she said, “Joseph, come to bed with me.”

Joseph answered, “My master, Potiphar let me overseer all he has. He hasn’t hold back anything from me but you? How can I do this and sin against God?”

Joseph refused to lay with Potiphar’s wife. Joseph quickly ran away from the place with his garment in the hand of Potiphar’s wife.

After Joseph had fled outside, Potiphar’s wife told the servants of Potiphar, “See, the Hebrew man that Potiphar’s hired tried to rape me but I scream so he was panic and ran away leaving his garment here.”

Potiphar’s wife kept Joseph’s garment until his husband came home.

Then she show to Potiphar Joseph’s garment and told Potiphar that Joseph was trying to rape her.

Potiphar was so angry about it that he locked up Joseph in the prison cell. Joseph was put in a prison where the officers of Pharaoh that offended Pharaoh go.

God was with Joseph and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph all the prisoners who were in the prison.

The keeper of the prison doesn’t need to worry about everything that he had put under Joseph’s supervision because God was with Joseph.

One day, Judah went to visit his friend, an Adullamite called Hirah.

While Judah was there, he saw a Canaanite woman called Shua and he married her.

Shua became pregnant and gave birth to a son called Er.

Then Shua became pregnant with a second son and she gave birth to him. She called him Onan.

Shua became pregnant a third time and gave birth to his third son called Shelah.

Judah got his oldest son, Er, a wife called Tamar. Er was a very wicked man and so the Lord killed him.

Judah said to his second son, Onan,”Go in to your brother’s wife, Tamar.”

Onan knew that if he has a son through Er’s wife, Tamar, the son will not be his heir.

Therefore, while Onan was with Tamar, he purposely spilled his sperm on the ground so that Er will never have an heir.

The Lord is not happy with what Onan did, so he killed Onan also.

Therefore, Judah told Tamar, “My youngest son, Shelah is not old enough to marry so please go back to your father’s home. I will let you marry Shelah when he grows up.”

Judah said this because he was afraid that Shelah will die just like his brothers.

While Shelah was growing up, Judah’s wife, Shua died. Judah felt comforted and went up to visit his friend, Hirah the Adullamite.

Someone told Tamar that Judah had traveled to Timnah to shear his sheep. So Tamar took off his widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself and sat down at a public place.

When Judah saw her, he mistook her as a prostitute. Tamar said, “What will you give me as my wages?”

Judah replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock.”

Tamar said, “Can you give me a signet and a cord and your staff as a pledge until you sent the goat from your flock?”

Judah said, “Yes.” So Judah gave her the signet and cord and his staff and he went in to lay with her.

And so Tamar became pregnant. Tamar put away her prostitute clothes and put on her widow clothes.

When Judah sent the young goat to Tamar, he couldn’t find her in any places in the town.

After three months, Judah heard that Tamar is pregnant and he wanted to punish Tamar by burning her to death.

So Judah said, “Bring Tamar out so that she may be burned to death.”

When Tamar was brought out, she said, “I am pregnant by the men who own this signet, cord, and staff.”

Judah acknowledged that the staff, signet and cord belong to him.

It came to the time when Tamar had to give birth. Tamar gave birth to twins.

The first one came out and then drew back into the womb because the second one breakthrough.

So they called the second son Perez because he broke through his brother. Then out came the firstborn whom Tamar called Zerah.

One day, Joseph’s brothers traveled to a distance to feed the flock in Shechem.

Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are feeding the flock in Shechem. Go to Shechem now and see if they are well. Then come back and tell me.”

A man saw Joseph and asked him, “Who are you looking for?”

Joseph replied, “I am looking for my brothers. I want to know where they are feeding their flocks.”

And the man said, “They were here a moment ago. I overheard they said, “Let us go to Dothan.”” So Joseph traveled to Dothan to find his brothers.

When Joseph’s brothers saw him from a distance, they plot with each other to kill Joseph and then throw his corpse into a pit.

Reuben heard their plan and wanted to save Joseph. So Reuben said, “Don’t kill Joseph. Just throw him into a pit in the wilderness.”

So when Joseph came near his brothers, they stripped off his colorful coat and threw him into a dry pit.Then Joseph’s brothers sat down to eat.

Along came a company of the Midianites carrying spices, balm and myrrh and are on their way to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “We don’t get anything for throwing Joseph into the pit. Let’s sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites.”

The brothers quickly pull Joseph up from the pit. They then sold Joseph to the Midianites for twenty shekels.

When Reuben returns to the well to save Joseph, he couldn’t find Joseph as Joseph was no longer there.

Joseph’s brothers took Joseph’s coat and tore it into pieces. They killed a young goat kid and dip it in its blood.

Then they show their father, Israel, the tore pieces of Joseph’s coat which is dipped with blood. And their father was so sad and wept for Joseph.

When the Midianites arrived at Egypt, they sold Joseph as a slave to Potiphar who is the captain of the guard.

Joseph was 17 years old and he was looking after the sheep with his brothers. Joseph was always with his brothers, who are the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah.

Joseph often tells his father, Israel bad things about his brothers. Israel loved Joseph more than any of his sons because he was the son of Rachel.

One day, Israel made Joseph a coat of many colors. When Joseph’s brothers saw their father give Joseph a colorful coat, they became jealous.

Joseph’s brothers were jealous because Israel loved Joseph more than them. Joseph’s brothers hated him even more and will never talk kindly to Joseph.

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told his father and brothers about it.

Joseph said, “Please hear this dream that I had. I dreamed that we were binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly all your sheaves arose and gather around my sheaves and bow down to my sheaves.”

His brothers were angry and said, “Do you mean that you will rule over us?” And they hated Joseph even more because of what Joseph said.

Then Joseph had another dream. Joseph went ahead to tell his dream to his father and brothers.

Joseph said, “I dream that the sun, the moon and the eleven stars came to bow down to me.”

After Joseph finished speaking, his father rebuked him by saying, “What does this dream mean? Do you mean that your mother and I and your brothers will all bow down before you?”

Joseph’s brothers become jealous of him but his father had kept the matter in his mind.