This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Genesis 39:20-40:23, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Joseph. Joseph was very kind and very smart, but there are people who were jealous of him and didn’t like him. They told lies about Joseph, and he was sent to prison even though he did nothing wrong.
But even though Joseph was in prison, God was still with him. God showed Joseph love and gave him favor with the prison guard. The guard put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners because he knew that Joseph was trustworthy and responsible. Everything that Joseph did in the prison, God made it successful.
One day, two important men were also sent to the same prison as Joseph. They were very sad because they had dreams, but they didn’t know what the dreams meant. Joseph saw that they were upset and asked them why. They told him about their dreams, and Joseph said that only God could interpret dreams. The men told Joseph their dreams, and he told them what they meant.
The first man, who was the chief cupbearer, had a dream about a vine with three branches. In the dream, the vine budded, and the blossoms turned into grapes. The man took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and gave the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph said that the dream meant the man would be free in three days and get his job back. Joseph asked the man to remember him when he was free and help get him out of prison.
The second man, who was chief baker, had a dream about three baskets of bread. In the dream, the man was carrying the baskets on his head, and birds were eating from one of the baskets. Joseph said that the dream meant the man would die in three days.
On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a big feast for all his servants. He invited the chief cupbearer and the chief baker to the feast. Before the feast, Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position, just as Joseph had predicted. The cupbearer was very happy and he put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, just like he used to.
However, Pharaoh had the chief baker hanged, just as Joseph had predicted. The chief cupbearer, however, forgot about Joseph and did not try to get him out of prison.
Biblical Lessons
- God is always with us, even in hard times.
- God can use us to help others, even when we are in difficult situations.
- It is important to be truthful and trustworthy, like Joseph, even if other people do not treat us well.
- It is important to remember to help others when we have the chance.
