Joseph Sold into Slavery
Joseph's brothers throw him in a pit and sell him to traders headed for Egypt, then deceive their father.
Genesis 37:12-36
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The Story
Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers, who were grazing the flocks near Shechem. Joseph found them at Dothan instead. When they saw him in the distance, before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
'Here comes that dreamer!' they said. 'Let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say a wild animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams.'
Reuben, the oldest, persuaded them not to shed blood. 'Throw him into this cistern in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him.' He planned to rescue Joseph later. So when Joseph arrived, they stripped off his beautiful robe and threw him into an empty cistern.
As they sat down to eat, a caravan of Ishmaelite merchants appeared, heading for Egypt. Judah suggested, 'What will we gain if we kill our brother? Let's sell him instead.' They pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver.
When Reuben returned to the cistern and found Joseph gone, he tore his clothes in grief. But the deed was done.
The brothers slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. They brought it to their father. 'We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe.'
Jacob recognized it immediately. 'It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.' He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. 'I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave,' he said.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. The brothers thought they had ended Joseph's dreams. They had actually set them in motion.
Joseph Is Sold
Kids Version
One day, Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were watching the sheep far away.
When the brothers saw Joseph coming in his fancy coat, they got angry. 'Here comes the dreamer! Let's get rid of him!'
They grabbed Joseph, ripped off his beautiful coat, and threw him into a deep, empty hole in the ground. Joseph was scared and alone in the dark pit.
While the brothers ate lunch, they saw some traveling merchants heading to Egypt. One brother had an idea. 'Let's sell Joseph to them instead of hurting him. We'll get money, and he'll be gone forever!'
They pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him—their own brother!—for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants took Joseph away to Egypt, far, far from home.
Now the brothers had to fool their father. They killed a goat and put the blood on Joseph's colorful coat. They brought it to Jacob.
'We found this,' they said. 'Is it Joseph's coat?'
Jacob saw the blood and cried, 'Joseph is dead! A wild animal killed my son!' He was SO sad. He cried and cried for a long, long time.
The brothers' terrible lie hurt everyone. Joseph was a slave in a strange land. Jacob's heart was broken.
But God hadn't forgotten Joseph. God had a plan that would turn this terrible thing into something amazing.
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Scripture — Genesis 37:12-36 (KJV)
12And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
13And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. see: Heb. see the peace of thy brethren, etc.
15And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
17And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. dreamer: Heb. master of dreams
20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; colours: or, pieces
24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. were: Heb. hearkened
28Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen ; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
31And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
32And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
33And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
34And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
36And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. officer: Heb. eunuch: but the word doth signify not only eunuchs, but also chamberlains, courtiers, and officers captain: or, chief marshal: Heb. chief of the slaughter men, or executioners
Memory Verse
“And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.”
— Genesis 37:12 (KJV)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “Joseph Sold into Slavery” in the Bible?
Joseph's brothers throw him in a pit and sell him to traders headed for Egypt, then deceive their father. This story is found in Genesis 37:12-36.
Where is “Joseph Sold into Slavery” found in the Bible?
“Joseph Sold into Slavery” is found in Genesis 37:12-36, in the book of Genesis.
What can children learn from “Joseph Sold into Slavery”?
This story teaches children about Betrayal, Suffering, God's hidden purposes. Joseph's jealous brothers did something terrible—they sold him to travelers going to Egypt! They told their father Joseph was killed by a wild animal. Poor Joseph was taken far from home.