(RNS) — The makers of the God Bless the USA Bible, endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump, have issued a new edition just in time for Trump’s second inauguration.
Launched Monday (Jan 6.), the limited-run “Inauguration Day Bible” costs $69.99 — or four copies for $59.49 each — and features an embossed cover with Trump’s name and the date of his upcoming inauguration. The Bible includes the King James translation along with the text of the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and the lyrics to the chorus of “God Bless the USA,” the 1984 Lee Greenwood hit. It also comes with a DVD of a concert honoring Greenwood’s career.
Trump fans can still order the original God Bless the USA Bible for $59.99. There’s also “The Day God Intervened” edition, embossed with the date of the failed assassination attempt in July. Some of Trump’s supporters have claimed God spared Trump’s life. The website also offers a signed Trump Bible for $1,000, Trump-related apparel and links to Trump-themed guitars and God Bless the USA coins.
First announced in 2021 by a marketing company with ties to Greenwood, the God Bless the USA Bible has been a source of controversy ever since. An initial version featuring the New International Version translation was canceled after a number of authors published by Zondervan, which also publishes the NIV, objected. The Bible was then resurrected when the marketing company switched to the King James version, which is in the public domain.
It was largely forgotten until this past spring, when Trump began hocking the God Bless the USA Bible in video ads, tying it to t …