尽管这场演说名垂青史，当今的学者们对其确切之措词意见不一，而当时据实誊录的新闻报导，甚至林肯本人的数份手抄副本中，其措词、标点、与结构皆互有歧异。在众多版本中，‘毕利斯本’(Bliss Copy)已成标准本。这是唯一一份林肯署名的版本，也是所知经其撰写的最终版本：（以下为此本之中英对照） 
八十有七年前吾辈先祖于此大陆肇建一新国度，其于自由中孕育，并致力于凡人生而平等之念。
  
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal。
  
吾辈当下所业浩浩之战，正考验著这个国家，或任何孕育如斯致力如斯者，能否永垂不朽。吾辈会于此战一广懋沙场。吾辈前来题献此沙场之一部，以作为国捐躯之英魂最终安息之处。此举全然妥切合适，为吾辈之所应行。
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure。
   We are met on a great battle field of that war。 We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live。
   It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this。
然，于更广阔之意义上，吾辈无从题献—无从圣化—无从顶礼斯土。于此奋战之勇士们，或死或生，已然圣化斯土，远逾吾辈之绵力所能增减。
  世人鲜将留意，抑或记取吾辈之言，然战士们所为于此者不可或忘。是在吾辈生者，于此题献舍死忘生者未竟之功。是吾辈确切之责，于此献身以毕吾辈眼前之伟业—兹自可敬之死难将士，吾辈尽献于其为之尽献之终极信念—吾辈于此应许，亡者之犠牲定非无谓—此一国度，凭借神佑，定享自由之新生—而民有、民治、民享的政府，必不自地球上消亡。
  
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground。 The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract。
   The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here。 It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced。
   It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth。
   
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