In Genesis 45, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers who had sold him into slavery years earlier. Unable to control himself any longer in the presence of his Egyptian attendants, Joseph commands everyone except his brothers to leave the room. In this private moment, he breaks down weeping so loudly that the Egyptians and Pharaoh's household can hear him from outside.

Through his tears, Joseph declares to his stunned brothers, "I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?" The brothers are so shocked and terrified that they can’t answer him, struck speechless by the realization that the powerful Egyptian official before them is the very brother they had betrayed. Joseph, seeing their fear, gently calls them closer and reassures them, explaining that, while they intended evil against him, God used their actions for good.

Joseph urges his brothers not to be angry with themselves or each other for selling him, emphasizing that God sent him ahead to Egypt to save lives. He explains that there are still five more years of famine coming, and that God positioned him in Egypt to preserve their family line. In a remarkable display of forgiveness and eternal perspective, Joseph reframes their betrayal as part of God's sovereign plan to make him "a father to Pharaoh" and ruler over all Egypt.

The practical implications of this reunion quickly become apparent as Joseph instructs his brothers to return to Canaan and bring their father Jacob — along with all their families, livestock, and possessions — to settle in the land of Goshen in Egypt. Joseph promises to provide for them there during the remaining years of famine, ensuring they won’t become impoverished. He gives them wagons and provisions for the journey, along with changes of clothing for each brother and special gifts of silver and garments for Benjamin.

When Pharaoh learns that Joseph's brothers have come to Egypt, he enthusiastically endorses the plan and instructs Joseph to tell his family to bring everything and that they would receive “the good of the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 45 concludes with the brothers arriving back in Canaan and telling their father, "Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt."

Genesis 44 continues the dramatic account of Joseph testing his brothers who have come to Egypt seeking grain during the famine. At the beginning of the chapter, Joseph instructs his steward to fill his brothers' sacks with grain and to secretly place each man's money back in his sack. Most significantly, he orders that his personal silver cup be hidden in Benjamin's sack, the youngest brother who is Jacob's beloved son and Joseph's only full brother.

After the brothers leave the city, Joseph sends his steward to pursue them with an accusation of theft. The steward confronts them about stealing his master's silver cup, which he claims is used for divination. The brothers vehemently deny the accusation and confidently declare that whoever is found with the cup should die, while the rest should become slaves. However, the steward proposes a more lenient punishment: only the guilty party would become a slave while the others could go free.

When the sacks are searched from oldest to youngest, the cup is discovered in Benjamin's possession. The brothers are devastated and tear their clothes in anguish. They all return to the city together, refusing to abandon Benjamin despite being given the opportunity to leave without him.

Back in Joseph's presence, Judah takes the lead as spokesman for his brothers. He acknowledges their apparent guilt while maintaining their innocence, recognizing that God has somehow exposed their past sins. When Joseph insists that only Benjamin needs to remain as his slave, Judah explains that their father Jacob's life is bound up with Benjamin's welfare, describing how Jacob had lost one beloved son (Joseph) and how losing Benjamin would kill him. Judah says that he cannot bear to see his father's grief and asks to substitute himself for Benjamin so that the young man can return home.

Genesis 43 opens with the famine continuing to ravage the land of Canaan, forcing Jacob's family to consider another journey to Egypt for grain. When their supplies run low, Jacob instructs his sons to return to Egypt to buy more food. However, Judah reminds his father that the Egyptian official (whom they don't know is Joseph) had sternly warned them not to return without their youngest brother Benjamin.

Jacob initially resists sending Benjamin, expressing his fear of losing another beloved son after already mourning Joseph's apparent death. Judah steps forward and offers to personally guarantee Benjamin's safety, pledging his own life as surety for his brother's return. He argues that, if they hadn’t waited, they could’ve made the trip twice already. Faced with the reality of starvation, Jacob reluctantly agrees to let Benjamin go.

Before their departure, Jacob instructs his sons to take gifts for the Egyptian ruler. He also tells them to take double the money, both to pay for the new grain and to return the money that had mysteriously appeared in their sacks after their previous trip. Jacob believes this might have been an oversight that could be corrected.

When the brothers arrive in Egypt with Benjamin, Joseph sees them and instructs his steward to bring them to his house for a meal. This frightens the brothers, who assume they're being brought to Joseph's house because of the money found in their sacks. They fear they’ll be accused of theft and enslaved. At the entrance to Joseph's house, they approach the steward and explain about the money, insisting they’ve brought it back along with additional money for more grain.

The steward reassures them, telling them not to fear and that their God must have put treasure in their sacks, as he had received their payment. He then brings Simeon out to them, the brother who had been held as a hostage during their previous visit. As they prepare for the noon meal with Joseph, the brothers are given water to wash their feet, and their donkeys are fed.

When Joseph arrives home, the brothers present their gifts and bow down before him, again fulfilling the dreams Joseph had shared with them years earlier. Joseph asks about their welfare and specifically inquires about their elderly father. When he sees Benjamin, his youngest brother, Joseph is overcome with emotion but manages to control himself for a moment. He asks if this is their youngest brother and blesses Benjamin and then quickly leaves the room to weep privately.

After composing himself, Joseph returns and orders the meal to be served. The Egyptians eat separately from the Hebrews due to cultural customs, and Joseph eats alone because of his high position. The brothers are seated in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest, which amazes them since they cannot understand how this Egyptian official would know their birth order. Joseph sends portions from his table to his brothers, but Benjamin receives five times as much as the others. Despite their initial fears, the brothers enjoy their meal and the time with Joseph, not yet realizing they’re dining with their long-lost brother.