US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has caused an uproar after reading out a prayer at the Pentagon that bears a close resemblance to scenes in the film Pulp Fiction. Delivering a speech in a worship service in the US military headquarters, the moment was not only attention-grabbing on the content delivered but also the context in which it was delivered.
Pete Hegseth quotes fake Bible verse
Pete Hegseth informed the viewer that he had been told about the prayer by the so-called “lead mission planner” of a rescue mission of two US Air Force crew members who had been shot down over Iran. He defined it as a message that is normally used during combat search-and-rescue operations.
Before every CSAR mission, Sandy 1, and all Sandys, and all A-10 crews, would recite this prayer, but more so this CSAR mission, which occurred in actual time, he said, meaning combat search-and-rescue missions.
Pete Hegseth quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during a Pentagon sermon.pic.twitter.com/1o3CJiJYRF
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 16, 2026
Here’s what Pete Hegseth recited:
The iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men beset on all sides the path of the downed aviator, blessed be he who in the name of comradery and duty shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, and he is truly his brother keeper and finder of lost children. And you will know my call sign is Sandy One, when I lay my vengeance upon thee. Amen.
The prayer is similar to a famous monologue in Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino, which was spoken by Samuel L Jackson. The lines are given in the film as a Biblical quote of Ezekiel 25:17, but are mostly fictionalized and dramatic.
The following is what Samuel L Jackson read in Pulp Fiction:
And woe to him, who in the name of charity and good will, will help the weak, and guide the lost children, through the valley of darkness: blessed will he be as the keeper of his brother, and the finder of lost children. and thou shalt know my name is the Lord when I shall bring my wrath upon him.
What does the original Biblical verse say?
Unlike the original Biblical verse, which is quite short and has a totally different meaning regarding God’s judgment of people in ancient times, the revised version at the Pentagon replaced any phrase with “Lord” to make it fit into military terms.
Ezekiel 25:17 states:
“And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”
WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN TRUMP AND POPE LEO
It was an appropriate period since the war of words between Donald Trump and Pope Leo has continued to grow. Recently, the US president attacked Pope Leo for being weak on crime and terrible for his foreign policy due to the pope’s strong stance against America’s involvement in the Iran war.
In fact, the US president posted and quickly deleted an artificial intelligence picture showing him as a Jesus Christ look-alike. The first American pontiff remained cool by stating that he is not afraid of the Trump administration but called for world peace.
