diff --git a/decrypt/decrypt.go b/decrypt/decrypt.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea2a944c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decrypt/decrypt.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package decrypt // import "go.mozilla.org/sops/decrypt"
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.mozilla.org/sops"
+	"go.mozilla.org/sops/aes"
+	sopsjson "go.mozilla.org/sops/json"
+	sopsyaml "go.mozilla.org/sops/yaml"
+)
+
+// File is a wrapper around Data that reads a local encrypted
+// file and returns its cleartext data in an []byte
+func File(path, format string) (cleartext []byte, err error) {
+	// Read the file into an []byte
+	encryptedData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to read %q: %v", path, err)
+	}
+	return Data(encryptedData, format)
+}
+
+// Data is a helper that takes encrypted data and a format string,
+// decrypts the data and returns its cleartext in an []byte.
+// The format string can be `json`, `yaml` or `binary`.
+// If the format string is empty, binary format is assumed.
+func Data(data []byte, format string) (cleartext []byte, err error) {
+	// Initialize a Sops JSON store
+	var store sops.Store
+	switch format {
+	case "json":
+		store = &sopsjson.Store{}
+	case "yaml":
+		store = &sopsyaml.Store{}
+	default:
+		store = &sopsjson.BinaryStore{}
+	}
+	// Load Sops metadata from the document and access the data key
+	metadata, err := store.UnmarshalMetadata(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to unmarshal sops metadata: %v", err)
+	}
+	key, err := metadata.GetDataKey()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to get data key: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Load the encrypted document and create a tree structure
+	// with the encrypted content and metadata
+	branch, err := store.Unmarshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal sops encrypted branch: %v", err)
+	}
+	tree := sops.Tree{Branch: branch, Metadata: metadata}
+
+	// Decrypt the tree
+	cipher := aes.Cipher{}
+	stash := make(map[string][]interface{})
+	mac, err := tree.Decrypt(key, cipher, stash)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to decrypt tree: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Compute the hash of the cleartext tree and compare it with
+	// the one that was stored in the document. If they match,
+	// integrity was preserved
+	originalMac, _, err := cipher.Decrypt(
+		metadata.MessageAuthenticationCode,
+		key,
+		metadata.LastModified.Format(time.RFC3339),
+	)
+	if originalMac != mac {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to verify data integrity. expected mac %q, got %q", originalMac, mac)
+	}
+
+	return store.Marshal(tree.Branch)
+}
diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..318260077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package sops_test
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"log"
+
+	"go.mozilla.org/sops/decrypt"
+)
+
+type configuration struct {
+	FirstName string  `json:"firstName"`
+	LastName  string  `json:"lastName"`
+	Age       float64 `json:"age"`
+	Address   struct {
+		City          string `json:"city"`
+		PostalCode    string `json:"postalCode"`
+		State         string `json:"state"`
+		StreetAddress string `json:"streetAddress"`
+	} `json:"address"`
+	PhoneNumbers []struct {
+		Number string `json:"number"`
+		Type   string `json:"type"`
+	} `json:"phoneNumbers"`
+	AnEmptyValue string `json:"anEmptyValue"`
+}
+
+func Example_DecryptFile() {
+	var (
+		confPath string = "./example.json"
+		cfg      configuration
+		err      error
+	)
+	confData, err := decrypt.File(confPath, "json")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("cleartext configuration marshalling failed with error: %v", err)
+	}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(confData, &cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("cleartext configuration unmarshalling failed with error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.FirstName != "John" ||
+		cfg.LastName != "Smith" ||
+		cfg.Age != 25.4 ||
+		cfg.PhoneNumbers[1].Number != "646 555-4567" {
+		log.Fatalf("configuration does not contain expected values: %+v", cfg)
+	}
+	log.Printf("%+v", cfg)
+}