He made three hundred smaller shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon [the king’s armory].

They gave according to their ability to the treasury for the work, 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly [linen] garments.

Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.

And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priests’ garments.

So he called ten of his servants, and gave them ten minas [one apiece, each equal to about a hundred days’ wages] and said to them, ‘Do business [with this] until I return.’

The first one came before him and said, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

The second one came and said, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’

Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas already!’