《吕氏春秋·纪·仲春纪》
他们亲近巧诈的人，疏远正直的人，致使国家处于极危险的境地，这时即使后悔以前的过错，已然不可挽回。
巧佞之近，端直之远，国家大危，悔前之过，犹不可反。
They were intimate with cunning people and distant from upright people, causing the country to be in an extremely dangerous situation. At this time, even if they regretted their previous mistakes, it was already irredeemable.
<s>[INST] Kindly elucidate the central themes in this passage in English: 巧佞之近，端直之远，国家大危，悔前之过，犹不可反。 [/INST] They were intimate with cunning people and distant from upright people, causing the country to be in an extremely dangerous situation. At this time, even if they regretted their previous mistakes, it was already irredeemable.</s>
Kindly elucidate the central themes in this passage in English: 巧佞之近，端直之远，国家大危，悔前之过，犹不可反。
user
They were intimate with cunning people and distant from upright people, causing the country to be in an extremely dangerous situation. At this time, even if they regretted their previous mistakes, it was already irredeemable.
assistant