12, 13. (a) How did Joseph impose a test to reveal the heart attitude of his brothers? (b) How did the result give Joseph a basis for showing mercy?

¹² When Joseph saw that Benjamin had come with the brothers, he invited them to his house, where he spread a feast. For Benjamin he provided a portion five times that of the portion for each of the others. Then Joseph made a final test of his brothers. Again, he returned all their money in their individual sacks, but his own special silver cup was placed in the mouth of Benjamin’s sack. After their departure, Joseph sent his house manager to accuse them of theft and to search their sacks for his cup. When it was found in Benjamin’s sack, the brothers ripped their mantles apart. They were led back to face Joseph. Judah made an impassioned plea for mercy, offering to become a slave in Benjamin’s place so that the boy could be returned to his father.​—Genesis 43:15–44:34.

¹³ Convinced now of his brothers’ change of heart, Joseph could no longer control his emotions. After ordering everyone else to go out from him, Joseph declared: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now do not feel hurt and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here; because for the preservation of life God has sent me ahead of you . . . in order to place a remnant for you men in the earth and to keep you alive by a great escape.” He then said to his brothers: “Go up quickly to my father, and you must say to him, ‘ . . . Come down to me. Do not delay. And you must dwell in the land of Goshen, and . . . I will supply you with food there, for there are yet five years of famine; for fear you and your house and everything you have may come to poverty.’”​—Genesis 45:4-15.

14. What joyful news was conveyed to Jacob?

¹⁴ When Pharaoh heard the news about Joseph’s brothers, he told Joseph to have wagons taken from the land of Egypt to bring his father and all of his family to Egypt because the best of the land was to be theirs. Hearing all that had happened, Jacob was revived in spirit and exclaimed: “It is enough! Joseph my son is still alive! Ah, let me go and see him before I die!”​—Genesis 45:16-28.

18. The special favor shown to Benjamin resembles what in modern times?

¹⁸ However, what of Joseph’s one full brother, Benjamin, whose hard birth cost the life of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel? Benjamin was specially favored by Joseph, who no doubt felt a closer intimacy with this son of his own mother. This most likely accounts for Benjamin’s receiving the fivefold portion when all 12 brothers were first reunited at the feast in Joseph’s house.