TRENTON — Below is a copy of Gov. Chris Christie's speech, as prepared for delivery, as he is sworn into a second term today:

"Today, once again, the people of New Jersey have given me the opportunity to serve. And I thank each and every citizen for that honor. And once again, I have taken an oath where I have sworn to promote the peace and prosperity of our great state and its citizens. It is an oath that I have lived by for the last four years. It is the oath I will live by for every day I am privileged to call myself your governor.

The oath though, is just a symbol of the bond we have created with each other over the last four years.

We have endured the worst economic recession of our lifetimes and we have begun to triumph over it.

We have confronted entrenched interests and their endless stream of money that have previously stood in the way of fiscal sanity for our state, and educational excellence for our children. Together, we have pushed those interests back, and put our children’s future first.

We have survived the worst natural disaster in our state’s history and worked together to restore, renew and rebuild the state we love.

Each one of these challenges has been met by a new, unified force in public life — a New Jersey setting the tone for an entire nation. A tough New Jersey. A resilient New Jersey. A proud New Jersey.

A New Jersey that has put aside political partisanship on the important issues to our people to take advantage of the opportunities each of these challenges has presented us with every day. A New Jersey that has brought pride to our people and leadership to our country.

Finally, this past November, New Jerseyans had the chance to decide if the bonds we have formed were strong enough to endure the heat of today’s political campaigns. Would our elections confirm that the change we said had arrived on this stage four years ago was truly beneficial for all of our citizens?

In the end, I have had no greater honor in my life than having twice been elected by my fellow citizens to be the governor of the state where I was born and raised. With that honor comes solemn obligations — to make the hard decisions, to raise the uncomfortable topics, to require responsibility and accountability, to be willing to stand hard when principles are being violated and to be willing to compromise to find common ground with all of our people. To work every day, night and day — to make New Jersey all it can be. In short, to be the governor.

My fellow New Jerseyans, we started this journey together in a dark and foreboding time in our history when hope was at a premium and trust had been squandered by a government who had been unwilling to tell you the truth. Today, we enter the final leg of this journey together with more hope than we have had in years and the trust that comes from partners who have shared with each other the hard truths that come from decisive action. We are at the dawn of new age of pride and growth in our state and its people. Let us move forward with the strength that comes from the belief we have in each other. I believe in you New Jersey — and I always will.

God Bless you, God Bless America and God Bless the great state of New Jersey."

Governor Chris Christie Inauguration 39 Gallery: Governor Chris Christie Inauguration

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