Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has been caught reciting a fake Bible verse at a Pentagon worship service to justify sending American ground troops into the ongoing war with Iran.
Hegseth tried to invoke some holy fire by reciting “Ezekiel 25:17” during his speech blessing U.S. Combat Search and Rescue ops.
There was just one problem: The verse he recited isn’t actually in the Bible. It’s the fabricated, Hollywood monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman character, Jules Winnfield, in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Watch the side-by-side video below:
In Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Jackson’s hitman attributes an extended, largely fabricated passage to Ezekiel 25:17 before carrying out a killing. The only portion with a direct biblical parallel is the final line referencing divine vengeance.
The actual verse, Ezekiel 25:17 (King James Version), 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.”
It contains no reference to a “path of the righteous man,” a “valley of darkness,” or shepherd imagery.
Hegseth described the prayer as one he learned from military leaders involved in recent operations to rescue downed U.S. airmen in Iran. He said teachings from the worship services should help shape policy and operational decisions.
The moment, captured on video and shared widely online, was the second consecutive month Hegseth has used strong, violent imagery in prayers during the services amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.