The curses found in Leviticus 26:17 mirror the blessing in verses 6-8. If they keep God’s law, the nation would know the blessing of God’s presence and his protection from their enemies. Now, the Lord warns the nation that if the Hebrews break the covenant, they will experience God himself as their enemy. In his judgment, the Lord will cause the Israelites to be defeated by their enemies and will cause them to lose their national identity.
17 Je tournerai ma face contre vous, et vous serez battus devant vos ennemis; ceux qui vous haïssent domineront sur vous, et vous fuirez sans que l'on vous poursuive.