Story of Joseph

Characters: Jacob, twelve sons, Reader, two traders, Baker, Butler, Servant

Suggested Properties: Robes, white head scarves, coat of many colors (could be a quilted

one, if available), eleven sacks filled with light weight material, cup,

lunches for brothers in Scene II, coins for traders, chair for throne, table

with twelve places, money for Benjamin’s sack.

Bible text : Genesis 37-46

Songs to be used appear after the play.

Scene I

Reader: Jacob lived in the land of Canaan. As our story begins, Joseph was

seventeen years old. He was with his brothers feeding their father’s flock.

(Joseph and brothers are in the field with sheep)

Joseph: My brothers, I have had a dream. Listen while I tell it. We were binding

sheaves in the fields and my sheaf stood straight up and your sheaves

bowed down to mine.

Judah: Indeed! Do you think you shall reign over us?

Reuben: You are a tattle tale.

Issachar: Just because you are Father’s favorite doesn’t mean you can rule us!

Zebulun: Why should Father give only you a beautiful coat?

Enter Jacob.

Joseph: Father, come here and listen to me. I had another dream. I dreamed the

sun, moon, and stars bowed down to me.

Jacob: Be careful what you say, Joseph! What is this you have dreamed?

Shall your mother, your brothers, and I bow down to thee on earth?

Gad: The Dreamer!

Asher: Who does he think he is?

Jacob: Well, we shall just remember this.

Judah: Come, we can’t waste our time listening to this dreamer. We must go to

Shechem and feed the flock.

(All leave except Jacob, Benjamin, and Joseph.)

Scene II

Reader: After awhile Jacob called Joseph to him and said, “Go, I pray thee, and see

if all is well with your brothers.” A man found Joseph as he was

wandering in the fields of Shechem. When he found out Joseph was

looking for his brothers, the man told him they had moved on to Dothan,

so on Joseph went.

(Brothers are in the field.)

Levi: Look, there comes the dreamer.

Issachar: Oh, how I hate him.

Zebulun: I can’t stand him any longer. Let’s kill him.

Judah: We could throw him into a pit and say a beast devoured him.

Dan: Then we will see what comes of his dreams.

Reuben: Let’s not kill him, but put him into a pit.

(Enter Joseph.)

Joseph: Brothers, our father sent me to see how you are doing.

Asher: Oh, yes, and how is the dreamer?

Simeon: Come, let’s have that lovely coat.

(They take off his coat.)

Joseph: My brothers, why are you treating me this way?

Gad: We’ll teach you to tattle on us to Father and tell dreams.

Naphthali: Come, brothers, let’s put him into the pit.

Joseph, crying: Please, please, don’t do this to me. What have I done to

you that you hate me so? I beg you not to do this.

(They put him into the pit, while he is struggling and crying.)

Judah: It’s time for dinner. Let’s eat.

(All sit down and open their lunches.)

Reuben: I’ll be back later.

(Reuben leaves.)

Zebulun: Look, yonder come some traders. Suppose we sell our brother to them.

Judah: We won’t get anything by just killing him. Let’s do sell him. After all, he

is our brother.

All: Let’s do.

Song II

(Traders enter.)

Simeon: Sirs, we have a seventeen year old boy we wish to sell. What will you

give for him?

Trader, looking into the pit: Well, twenty pieces of silver.

Judah: That’s enough. Come, brothers, give me a hand. (They lift Joseph out of

the pit.)

Joseph: My brothers, I beg you to let me go to my father.

Issachar: Be quiet, we are tired of hearing you and your dreams.

Trader: We must be on our way.

(Traders go to right. Brothers go to left. Enter Reuben.)

Reuben, going to pit: Joseph, I have come to save you. Joseph, Joseph. Brothers where

is Joseph? (Runs back and forth on stage.)

(Enter Brothers.)

Judah: Reuben, we have sold Joseph. Here is his coat which we dipped in blood.

Our father will suppose some wild beast killed him.

Reuben: Oh, we shouldn’t have done this to our father. He will go to his grave

mourning over this.

Song III

Scene III

Reader: Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar. The Lord was with Joseph and he

was prosperous. Potiphar saw this, and made Joseph overseer of

everything he had. But one day Potiphar’s wife told lies about Joseph to

her husband. Potiphar believed his wife and had Joseph put into prison.

Joseph soon was put in charge of all the prisoners. The King’s butler and

baker had lost favor and were in prison, too.

(Joseph, Butler, and Baker in prison)

Joseph: Why are you two so sad this day?

Baker: We have dreamed dreams and there is no interpreter.

Joseph: Don’t you know that interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.

Butler: In my dream I saw a vine with three branches that had clusters of grapes.

Pharaoh's cup was in my hand and I took the grapes, pressed them into the

cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh.

Joseph: This is what your dream means: The three branches are three days. In

three days Pharaoh will bring you out of prison and you will be in the

office of butler just like you were. When you are out of prison, remember

me to Pharaoh and bring me out of here, because I have done nothing

wrong.

Baker: That is good. See if you can tell the meaning of my dream. I dreamed I

had three white baskets on my head. In the top one was bread, and the

birds came and ate out of the basket on my head.

Joseph: The three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will hang you and

the birds will eat your flesh.

(Joseph, Butler, and Baker leave stage.)

Reader: And so it was. The butler forgot all about Joseph until the Pharaoh had

two dreams that no one could explain. Joseph was brought from prison,

and God through Joseph gave their meanings. Both dreams meant there

would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph

suggested that the Pharaoh place a man over the country to be in charge of

storing up food to have during the famine. Pharaoh appointed Joseph to

this high office.

Scene IV

Reader: After a few years, just as Joseph had said, the famine came. It spread all

over the land, and in Canaan, Jacob and his sons were in need of corn for

food. Jacob heard that in Egypt they had corn, so he sent all the sons,

except Benjamin, to buy corn. The brothers had to come before Joseph,

but they did not recognize him. He accused them of being spies. He had

them put into prison for three days. He kept Simeon bound before their

eyes. Joseph commanded that their money be put back in each one’s sack.

They discovered this when they stopped at an Inn to feed their animals.

They were so afraid they did not know what to do. When this supply of

corn was used up, Jacob told his to go again to Egypt and buy corn. They

told their father they could not go without Benjamin, so the man had told

them. Finally, Jacob consented to Benjamin’s going. They took a present

to Joseph and double amount of money for the corn. They arrived and

Joseph heard that the men from Canaan had come.

(Joseph is seated on throne with servant beside.)

Joseph: Prepare food for these men from Canaan. They shall eat with me.

Servant: As you say, Master.

Reader: All preparations were made and the brothers were invited to eat in the

Governor’s house.

(Scene is changed to table set for twelve, with Joseph at one end of the table.) Enter brothers.

Joseph: And how is your father?

Brothers: (bowing) He is well, thank you.

Joseph: And is this your younger brother?

Brothers: Yes, this is Benjamin.

(Joseph turns and weeps. Then he returns.)

Joseph (to servant):

Seat these men as I tell you: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan,

Naphthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin.

Judah (to brothers):

How could he tell us according to our ages?

Levi: This is marvelous!

Joseph: Let’s all eat and be merry.

Reader: The next morning the brothers started home. Joseph ordered each man’s

money put into his sack, as he did the first time, and also his silver cup in

Benjamin’s. After the brothers had started, he sent a servant to overtake

them.

Servant: Wait, here. The Master’s silver cup has been stolen. Why do you reward

good with evil?

Reuben: We brought back the money we found in our sacks mouths! Why do you

think we would do this wicked thing? In whose sack the cup is, let him

die and we will be servants.

(Servant looks in each sack, finding the cup in Benjamin’s sack.)

Servant: Here it is. Let us return to the Master.

(Servant and brothers turn and come before Joseph.)

Joseph: Why have you acted this way? Did you not think I would know about it?

Judah: What can we say, my Lord? All of us will be your servants?

Joseph: No, only the one in whose sack the cup was found.

Judah: Our father said one son may have been torn to pieces, and if this one is

taken from him, he will go down to his grave. I promised to keep

Benjamin safe or be to blame forever. So let me be the slave in his stead.

Joseph: I can not stand it any longer. I am Joseph, your brother. Come near me. I

am Joseph that you sold into Egypt. Don’t be angry with yourselves. For

God sent me before you to save us all.

(Joseph kisses each brother.)

Joseph: There will be five more years of famine. Go to Canaan and bring our

father. Also your wives and little ones, so that your lives will be saved.

Song IV

Reader: Pharaoh heard of this and he had Joseph furnish his brothers with

everything necessary to move them into Egypt. When the brothers told

this to their father, Israel, he said, “It is enough that Joseph is alive. I will

go and see him before I die.” This is how the Israelites came to be in

Egypt, which was to be their home for about 430 years.

The End

Song I

Words by Camilla Woolsey Cogswell.

Tune: Farmer in the Dell.

He was the favorite one

Of all of Jacob’s sons.

He had a coat of many colors,

But none for all the others.

Their sheaves, he said he dreamed,

Bowed down to his, it seemed,

So did the stars and moon and sun-

The father, mother, and sons.

Song II

Tune: Auld Lang Syne

When he told his dreams to them,

They planned to do away with him:

“This dreamer we must kill,” they say,

“Then he can’t rule us some day.”

But Reuben was the one who said,

“His blood be on our heads.

Let’s put him down into a pit,”

And he turned away a bit.

Song III

Tune: Mulberry Bush

Then they took his beautiful coat,

Dipped it in the blood of a goat.

And they heard their father say,

“I grieve for my son this day.”

Then they sold him to some men

Who took him from his kin.

He ruled so wisely in their land

For God was with his hand.

Song IV

Tune: Auld Lang Syne.

Yes, Joseph stored all corn away

For the famine of that day.

His brothers came to buy from him

And he hid his face from them.

He loved them still, so he wept and said,

“I am Joseph, I’m not dead.

God gave to me a helping hand

To bring you to this land.”

Another song, JOSEPH, words and music by Mrs. Walter H. Adams, is an excellent one to be used in connection with this drama.

Song V

Closing Prayer Song which I got from some magazine many years ago. I do not know

the author.

Tune: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

Jesus help us to remember the sweet lessons from thy word.

Write upon our hearts forever truths that I this day have heard.

Every day be near to bless us, bring us to this school again.

Lead us, keep us, guide us, guard us.

In our Savior’s name. Amen