Jacob who lived in Canaan had twelve sons. Out of his sons, Joseph and Benjamin were the sons born by his wife Rachel whom Jacob loved most. Rachel died after having born her youngest son Benjamin. 

Joseph was an honest and wise man who loved the Lord God. Jacob gave special love to his eleventh son Joseph and clothed beautiful robes only for him. Seeing it, Joseph's brothers had much complaint about their father's special love toward Joseph.

One time Joseph had a dream, in which his brothers' sheaves of wheat in the field bowed down to Joseph's. And he had another dream, and told his brothers about it. 

"Listen to the dream I had. On the last night, I saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me." 

Joseph's brothers cannot stand what he said. His father scolded Joseph but kept thinking about the whole matters. His brothers hated him, more and more. 



One day, Joseph went on his father's errand to his brothers who were taking care of the flock in the field. They saw him in a beautiful robe, from the distance, and said to one another. 

"Here comes that dreamer. Let's kill him." 

When Joseph came up to his brothers, they took him and threw him into a dry well. 

"Oops~~!" 

Joseph was pushed out by his brothers to fall in a well. He cried out.

"God, Help me out, please." 

Then, his brothers found traders go to Egypt. They agreed that they would rather sell him, than kill him, in order to earn money. So, they pulled Joseph out of the well, and sold him to the traders, who took him to Egypt. He called out to his brothers, crying bitterly. However, his brothers turned a deaf ear to him. They tore his beautiful robe and dipped it into the blood of a goat. 

When they came back home, they took the robe to their father. 

"What's the matter? Where is Joseph?" 

Jacob asked his sons, in surprise.

"We don't know where he is. We found his robe in the wild. We think that some wild animals might kill him." 

They told a lie, feeling no guilt. Then, their father was distressed by Joseph's death, crying in sorrow. 



Now the traders had taken Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was the captain of the king's palace guard. Joseph lived in the house of his Egyptian master and worked as a servant. Joseph, a son of shepherd, was surprised by the luxury Egyptian life. He adapted to the entirely different unfamiliar environment from that he had lived in, by learning things, a lot that he had not known. His master Potiphar trusted the honest and diligent Joseph and put him in charge of his house and everything he owned. The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian, because he loved Joseph.

His master's wife desired the good-looking Joseph and asked him to go to bed with her. However, he refused to do so. Then, the wicked woman lied to her husband that Joseph tried to rape her. Eventually, Joseph was falsely accused and put in prison.

Joseph continued to be treated unfairly. Nonetheless, he trusted God. the Lord was with Joseph and loved him. All people around Joseph were fond of him who comforted and helped them. The jailer was pleased with him and put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and made him responsible for everything that was done in the prison. The king's two officers were in prison. One night, they had a dream. Joseph interpreted their dream.   



After two years had passed, the king of Egypt had an eccentric dream, at one night, and woke up. He was so afraid of having just dreamed that he can no longer sleep. He brought many people to understand about the meaning of the dream. But, no one can explain it. Then, a king officer who had been sent out of the prison remembered Joseph, and talked to the king about him. At this, the king sent for Joseph, and he was brought from the prison. 

The king asked. 

"I have been told that you can interpret dreams, Right?" 

Joseph answered. 

"I cannot do so. I pray to God for the interpretation for dreams, and the Lord replies to it."

The king talked about the dream that he had. 

"I dreamed that I was standing on the bank of the Jordan, when seven cows, fat, came out of the river and began feeding on the grass. Then, seven other cows, thin, ate up the fat ones. I also dreamed that the seven thin heads of grain swallowed the other seven ripe ones. Can you interpret the dreams?" 

Joseph answered. 

"Let me have the time to think about it. I will pray to God." 

Joseph prayed to the Lord and got the reply about it from God to explain the dreams to the king. 

"Your Majesty, there will be seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt. After that, there will be seven years of famine. Order people to store up all the food during the good years, for the famine that will come, please." 

The king was touched by what Joseph had interpreted the dreams. He thought that no one but Joseph can recover the tough times. Thus, he ordered Joseph to serve as Governor and rule the land. 



The seven years of plenty began, just as Joseph had said. Joseph stored up grains in all storehouses, for the upcoming famine. When the seven years of plenty came to an end, another seven years of famine began. As famine continued for two years, nations around Egypt, in no storage of grains had difficult times. In Cannan, Joseph's hometown, there was a famine. Jacob's family found that they did not have food. After his eleven sons were told that there were grains in Egypt, they went there for food. 

Joseph's brothers came to the presence of Joseph and knelt, because, they knew that they can get food, only when the Governor allowed. His brothers did not recognize Joseph, in contrast to Joseph who recognized his brothers. Joseph cannot live without thinking about his brothers who had sold him. They kept Joseph steaming around with rage. So, Joseph went somewhere no one was found, and cried.  Then, he yearned for his younger brother Benjamin who had stayed at the hometown. 

 Joseph did not tell his brothers about who he was. Instead, he gave a lot of plenty to them, and arrested Simeon, a brother of his, and put him in prison, under the condition of bringing Benjamin, there next time. Joseph's brothers came back home and told all the truth to his father Jacob. Then, Jacob was sad, saying, "I can no longer lose Benjamin, following Joseph." 



Jacob's family had little food left. Thus, Jacob cannot help allowing the youngest son Benjamin to go to Egypt, for food. Seeing that Benjamin came to the land of Egypt, with the brothers, Joseph was so delighted that he provided a dinner party for him, and wept, when no one including Benjamin was present. Joseph told his older brothers to leave the party. Then, he put a silver cup in Benjamin's sack and convicted him of a robber. At this, Judah, one of his older brothers, pleaded with Joseph, kneeling, with tears. 

"Our father has already lost one son. If he lost his youngest son Benjamin, too, he would certainly pass away." 

The moment Joseph was told about the father, he cannot resist his feeling to miss him. In the long run, Joseph confessed to his brothers that he was Joseph, and then, he did not stop crying, for a while. After that, he tightly hugged his younger brother Benjamin. 

Then, his older brothers were dumbstruck, in shock. They were terrified that they might be punished for having sold him to the traders. 

"Guys, don't worry about having sold me so that I became a slave. It was God's plan to rescue all my family by sending me here. There has still been famine throughout this land. Let our father come here," Joseph said to his brothers. 

Afterwards, Joseph's family moved from Cannan to Egypt, and lived a happy life as the family of the Governor. 

(Genesis 1-36, 39:1-46:7)