The mother succeeded in concealing the child for three months. Then, finding that she could no longer keep him safely, she prepared a little ark of rushes, making it watertight by means of slime and pitch; and laying the babe therein, she placed it among the flags at the river's brink. She dared not remain to guard it, lest the child's life and her own should be forfeited; but his sister, Miriam, lingered near, apparently indifferent, but anxiously watching to see what would become of her little brother. And there were other watchers. The mother's earnest prayers had committed her child to the care of God; and angels, unseen, hovered above his lowly resting place. Angels directed Pharaoh's daughter thither. Her curiosity was excited by the little basket, and as she looked upon the beautiful child within, she read the story at a glance. The tears of the babe awakened her compassion, and her sympathies went out to the unknown mother who had resorted to this means to preserve the life of her precious little one. She determined that he should be saved; she would adopt him as her own.

Det lykkedes moderen at skjule barnet i tre måneder. Da hun så blev klar over, at hun ikke længere kunne holde ham skjult, lavede hun en lille kiste af papyrusrør, tættede den med jordbeg og tjære, lagde barnet deri og satte den mellem sivene ved Nilens bred. Hun turde ikke blive ved den og passe på den, for ikke at bringe, sit eget og barnets liv i fare; men hans søster Miriam stod i nærheden. Hun var tilsyneladende ganske uinteresseret, men vågede anspændt for at se, hvad der ville ske med hendes lille broder. Der var også andre, der passede på. Moderen havde i sine alvorlige bønner overgivet sit barn til Guds omsorg, og usynlige engle svævede over dets beskedne leje. Engle førte Faraos datter hen til stedet. Hendes nysgerrighed blev vakt af den lille kurv, og da hun så det smukke lille barn, blev hun straks klar over, hvad der var sket. Den lilles tårer vakte hendes medlidenhed, og hun tænkte i medfølelse på den ukendte moder, der havde brugt dette middel til at redde sit dyrebare barn. Hun besluttede, at han skulle frelses. Hun ville selv adoptere ham.