Psalm 51
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
World English Bible (WEB)
On Psalm 51: the meaning of a psalm of remorse and cleansing, the plea for "a clean heart," and why it is read at times of repentance and new beginnings.
Psalm 51 is the best-known poem of repentance in the Bible. It is traditionally read as a confession written after a grave wrong; so it opens with an honesty that sets the fault plainly in view rather than hiding it.
At the heart of the psalm lies a famous plea: "Create in me a clean heart, O God." These words ask not for escape from consequence but for an inward renewal; they picture remorse not as a collapse but as the doorway to a fresh start.
You can move to the chapter below to read its continuation, which says a broken heart will not be turned away. The related collection on repentance bridges to other verses that carry the same theme of cleansing and return.