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TEXT: Genesis 41 to 45
THE men who had bought Joseph from his brothers took him to a land called Egypt. He lived there until he was a big man. One time the king had a dream. A dream is something you think when you are asleep. This king did not know what his dream could be about. Someone told him that Joseph could tell him. The king wanted to see Joseph.
The king told Joseph about his dream. Joseph said that if God would help him he would tell the king what the dream meant.
God did help Joseph. Joseph said that for seven years they would have all the food they wanted to eat. After that, the next seven years, there would not be very much food so they should be careful to save some while they had plenty.
The king was so happy with Joseph that he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. All the people had to do what Joseph said to do. He gave him pretty clothes to wear, just like his own.
Joseph was very, very careful to save food for the people when everything was growing good. He did not want them to be hungry when things would not grow.
Far away, where Joseph’s brothers lived, their food did not grow either. They were getting hungry.
One day Joseph’s father told his sons to go to Egypt to buy food there. The brothers did not know Joseph lived in Egypt. His father thought his boy Joseph was not living anymore.
The brothers went to Egypt. What do you think? Joseph saw them there. He knew them right away; but, of course, they did not know him.
His brothers looked so old and poor. Joseph had such nice clothes. Joseph felt sorry for them. He was not mad at them for having sold him that time so long ago.
The brothers had to ask Joseph for food. Joseph did not tell them who he was. He let them have all the food they wanted to take back home. Joseph asked about his daddy. They told Joseph there had been twelve boys but one was not with them anymore. They meant Joseph, but Joseph did not say a word about who he was.
Joseph was good to his brothers. They gave him money but Joseph had the money put back in the sacks of food so they did not have to pay for what they took home.
Joseph said that one of the big brothers had to stay with him until they brought back the younger brother. The brothers were afraid their father would not want the smaller brother to go with them the next time they went for food.
Joseph’s father felt very sad to let his last boy go far away, down into Egypt. He still missed Joseph, too. He did not want anything to happen to this boy.
Joseph saw his brothers coming back again. He saw that they had his younger brother with them. Joseph told the man who worked for him to fix a big, big dinner. He told him to go and tell his brothers to come over and eat with him.
The brothers were really afraid now. They did not know why the man next to the king would want them to eat with him. They were afraid they had done something wrong.
The brothers went to Joseph’s house. They waited for him to come out. They were still afraid. People are always afraid when they have been bad.
Joseph had dinner with his brothers. They still did not know who he was. They did not know their very own brother. He had been so young when they saw him the last time.
Then Joseph told them who he was. He was their own brother, Joseph! God had been with him and had taken care of him.
His brothers were afraid Joseph would be mad at them. Joseph said that God had sent him to Egypt that they might come there to buy food, and that their lives would be saved. He kissed his brothers to show them he loved them.
Joseph told his brothers to go and get his father and bring him to Egypt to live with him. He said to bring all their families, too.
Joseph’s father was so glad to see his boy again! The brothers were very sorry for what they had done. They had to tell God they were sorry. They told Joseph they were sorry, too, and he took good care of them.
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