וְגַם אֵין חִלּוּק בְּאִסוּרוֹ, בֵּין אִם הסִפּוּר הָיָה לִפְנִי אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁאֵינָם קְרוֹבָיו שֶׁל הָאִישׁ, שֶׁהוּא מְסַפֵּר עָלָיו אוֹ לִפְנִי קְרוֹבָיו. וַאֲפִלּוּ אָח עַל אָחִיו אֵצֶּל אָבִיו, גַּם כֵּן לָשׁוֹן הָרָע גְּמוּרָה הִיא. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הוּא מְכַוֵּן בַּסִפּוּר, (כה) כְּדֵי שֶׁקְּרוֹבָיו יוֹכִיחוּהוּ עַל זֶה, גַּם כֵּן אָסוּר, דְּהָיָה לוֹ לְהוֹכִיחוֹ תְּחִלָּה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְּמוֹ, וְלֹא לֵילֵךְ תֵּכֶף וּלְסַפֵּר קְלוֹנוֹ, אִם לֹא שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁעֵר שֶׁתּוֹכַחְתּוֹ לֹא תּוֹעִיל לוֹ, אָז מֻתָּר.
And there is no difference in this issur as to whether he tells people who are not relatives of the man [spoken of] or his relatives. And even for one to speak about his brother before his father is lashon hara. Even if he intends by his telling that his relatives reprove him for this, it is also forbidden. For he should have reproved him first by himself and not immediately gone to speak his shame — unless he assumed that his reproof would be of no avail, in which case it is permitted.