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Bible Verses About Guilt

“When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.”

— Psalms 32:3

Psalm 32 describes unconfessed guilt physically — bones waxing old, moisture turned to drought — and then describes confession's relief just as concretely. These verses move from the weight to the lifting. The fifteen verses below are the Bible's direct address to that situation, shown in full KJV text from Psalms 32:3 to Hebrews 10:22.

Quick answer: The best-known verse about guilt here is Psalms 32:3: "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." Psalms 32:5 follows close behind: "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." Both are public-domain translations, shown in full on the cards below with a modern-English toggle.

The 15 verses, in full text

01 · King James Version

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

Psalms 32:3

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02 · King James Version

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Psalms 32:5

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03 · King James Version

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Psalms 38:4

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04 · King James Version

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 51:2

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05 · King James Version

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psalms 51:3

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06 · King James Version

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalms 51:7

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07 · King James Version

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10

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08 · King James Version

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalms 103:10

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09 · King James Version

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalms 103:12

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10 · King James Version

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Proverbs 28:13

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11 · King James Version

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

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12 · King James Version

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Isaiah 43:25

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13 · King James Version

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Micah 7:18

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14 · King James Version

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

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15 · King James Version

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22

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When to read these verses

These verses are read in the middle of the feeling — not after it has been explained away. That is their design: guilt is named honestly in Scripture before it is redirected, and reading the name is usually the relief. Many readers keep one verse visible during the day and return to the list at night; others read all fifteen slowly, once, and then sit with the one that moved.

How to use this list

Use the copy button to move a verse into the place you will actually see it — a lock screen, a note, a message to someone who shares the feeling. If you want the list to keep working after today, the random verse tool above can draw one verse from this theme on demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Bible verse about guilt?
Psalms 32:3 is the one most readers land on: "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." Psalms 32:5 is the usual second: "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." The full list of fifteen is on this page — there is no single required verse, and different seasons call for different texts.
Does the Bible treat emotions like guilt as a faith problem?
No — the Psalms alone contain every major inner state spoken aloud to God without rebuke, and the New Testament's commands about feelings (rejoice, be anxious for nothing) are addressed to people clearly still feeling them. Scripture's pattern is naming, then directing: the feeling is real, and it is given somewhere to go.
Where in the Bible does it talk about guilt?
The verses on this page come from 6 books of the Bible — most notably Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah and 3 more — spanning both Old and New Testaments. The distribution itself is worth noticing: Scripture addresses guilt in more than one voice, which is why the page shows whole verses rather than a single proof text.
How do I use a list of verses about guilt?
Read the list once slowly, then keep the one verse that fits your situation close — the copy button places it wherever you will actually see it. Every card can be switched to the World English Bible for modern wording, and the random verse tool at the top of the page can draw one verse from this theme at a time if the whole list is more than today needs.

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