Free Bible lesson for kids · Joseph
Sold by His Brothers
Jacob sent Joseph to see whether it was well with his brothers. When they saw him coming they said, “Behold, this dreamer cometh,” stripped off his coat of many colours, cast him into an empty pit, and then sold him to traders for twenty pieces of silver. Jacob wept for his son, but God was with Joseph and was already working out His plan in Egypt.
- Bible passage
- Genesis 37:12–36
- Big idea
- Even when people treat us badly, God is with us and working for good.
- Memory verse
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Jacob sent Joseph to see whether it was well with his brothers and the flocks (Genesis 37:13–14). Joseph found them in Dothan, but when they saw him far off, they plotted to kill him and said, “Behold, this dreamer cometh” (Genesis 37:17–19). Reuben said, “Let us not kill him.” He told them to put Joseph in a pit instead, hoping to bring him back to their father (Genesis 37:21–22).
So they took off Joseph’s coat of many colours and threw him into an empty pit (Genesis 37:23–24). Judah said to sell him, and they sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to traders going to Egypt (Genesis 37:26–28). The brothers dipped Joseph’s coat in a goat’s blood, and Jacob thought a wild animal had killed his son, so he wept for him (Genesis 37:31–35). But in Egypt Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh (Genesis 37:36).
Read it in the Bible: 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. 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. 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; 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. 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.
Questions to ask
Why did Jacob send Joseph to his brothers?
To see whether it was well with his brethren and with the flocks (Genesis 37:14).
What did the brothers do to Joseph?
They stripped off his coat of many colours and cast him into a pit with no water in it (Genesis 37:23–24).
How much did they sell Joseph for?
Twenty pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28).
What this story teaches
- Hatred in the heart can lead to terrible sin (Genesis 37:18).
- God can use one brave voice to stop a wrong (Genesis 37:21–22).
- Lying to cover up sin only brings more sorrow (Genesis 37:31–35).
- God was with Joseph even when his brothers sold him (Acts 7:9).
- God works all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Jesus Was Given for Us
Jacob wept, thinking he had lost his son. God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.
Romans 8:32
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God that He is with us even when people are unkind. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “Even when people treat us badly, God is with us and working for good.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Romans 8:28 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 10 minutes
Joseph’s Journey
You need: A table or tunnel for the pit, cones, a paper crown at the end
- Set up a course: crawl through the “pit” (under a table), walk like a camel with the traders, then stand tall in Egypt.
- At the end, each child puts on the crown and says, “God was with me!”
- Then they run back and tag the next child.
Joseph was thrown in a pit and sold, but God was with Joseph every step of the way.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
Brothers’ Choices
You need: Bibles open to Genesis 37
- Read Genesis 37:18–28 and list each brother’s choice: the plotters, Reuben, Judah.
- Talk: what does peer pressure look like in this story? Where do you see it today?
- Practice what to say when a group is going the wrong way.
One brother tried to rescue Joseph, but went along with the group. Courage means doing right even alone.
Pray
Thank God that He is with us even when people are unkind.