US Vice President Joe Biden re-took the oath of office Sunday as Barack Obama officially begins his second term, a day ahead of public festivities planned for Monday.

Biden placed his hand on a thick and weathered-looking bible held by his wife, Jill, and pledged to "support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

The small morning ceremony was officiated by Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor, and attended by a number of Biden's family members.

Obama will also take the oath Sunday in a ceremony at the White House to comply with the US Constitution, which dictates his first term ends at noon on January 20.

In a tradition honored when that date falls on a Sunday, Obama will repeat the oath in a public ceremony Monday, and deliver his inaugural address to Americans, and the watching world, outside the US Capitol.