LEST ~ deceit, trick, guile, ruse, etc.

1618: Deceit is playing tricks to entertain
Gullibility, Freeman is warned by Memory.

In fragment 5 below, LESTICH was interpreted by Ottema as lastig (troublesome) instead of listig (sly). This (imo) mistake was copied in all later translations (that I know of) thus far.

— — — — — — 

list - Old English, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norse (and the like)

noun
LEST (sing.) - 6, 7, 8, 9
LESTA (plur.) - 2, 4

adjective/adverb
LESTICH - 5
LESTIGOSTE - 3 (superlative)
ÀRGLESTIGE - 1 (Dutch/German erg/arg means very or bad)

Fragments in OLB

1 [001/30]
THÀT.ER MÁGÍ SE NÉN ÍNE GÁ OF WNNEN HETH THRVCH THÀT WELD SINRA WÉPNE.
MEN BLÁT THRVCH ÀRGLESTIGE RENKA ÀND JETA MÁR
THRVCH THÀT GÍRICH SA THÉRA HYRTOGUM ÀND THÉRA ÉTHELINGA.
that the magus did not conquer a single district by force of arms,
but rather, merely through deceitful intrigue and with ease,
since the military leaders and noblemen were beset by greed.

2 [004/25]
SAWERSA J ÀFTA FRYA.S BÀRN WILLE
NÀMMER TO WINNADE HOR THRVCH LESTA* NER THVCH WÉPNE
SA HAGATH J TO NVDANDE THAT JVWE TOGHATERA ÀFTA FRYA WIVA WRDE.
if you want your children to remain true Fryas,
not to be conquered by either deceit or force of arms,
then make sure your daughters become real Frya women.

(*NB slip of the pen LESA in original, must be LESTA)

3 [031/28]
THÉRA. HWAM.HIS GÁST THÀT LESTIGOSTE SY. ÀND THÉRTRVCH STERIK.
THAM.HIS HÔNE KRÉIATH KÉNING.
ÀND THA ÔRA MOTON ALWENNA AN SIN WELD VNDER.WURPEN WÉSA
TIL EN ÔTHER KVMTH THÉR.IM FON.A SÉTEL DRÍWET.
The one whose mind is most cunning, and thus strong,
he rules [lit.: ‘his rooster crows king’]
and the others must in every way submit to him
until another comes who drives him off his throne.

4 [038/13]
THRVCH LESTA WISTON HJA.RA SELVA MASTER TO MÁKJANDE
FON VSA ÉWA ÀND SETMA
ÀND THRVCH WANKÉTHINGA WISTON HJA
ALLE TO WISA ÀND TO VRBRUDA.
By deceit they made themselves masters
of our laws and customs,
and through misinterpretations they managed
to explain and distort them all.

5 [041/07]
SA HWA ÀRM WÀRTH THRVCHTHAM HI NAVT WÀRKA NIL.
THÉR MOT TO THÀT LÁND UT DRÉVEN WERTHA.
HWAND THA LÀFA ÀND LOMA SEND LESTICH ÀND ÀRG TÀNKANDE.
THÉRVMBE ÁCH MÀN TO WÉRANA THÀM.
If someone becomes poor because he is unwilling to work,
he must be driven out of the land,
because the cowardly and lazy are sly and ill-disposed;
therefore, they ought to be removed.

6 [070/27]
THA AFTER.KVMAND AGON TO WÉTANE.
THAT WI HIR NAVT THRVCH LEST NER WELD KVMEN SEND.
MEN LIK ÁTHA VNTFONGEN.
those who come after us must know
that we did not come here by deceit or violence,
but were received as allies or “atha”.

7 [142/17]
ALOM ÀND ALLERWÉIKES SKIL LEST ÀND DROCHTEN BIDRÍF
WITH FRYHÉD KÀMPA ÀND RJUCHT
Everywhere and in every way, deception and idolatry will
challenge [lit.: fight with] freedom and justice.

8 [199/25]
HETH THÀT FOLK HIM SELVA THRVCH LEST ÀND WELD FON THÀT ÉLE LÁND MÁSTER MÁKED
this folk succeeded in mastering the whole land by deceit and through force.

9 [206/08]
THÉRVMBE HÀVON TO SÉMNE ÉNE LEST FORSONNEN THÉR VS ALLE BÁTA MOST.
Therefore, we forged a plot together which might benefit us all.

"Listig Jantje" folk-print between 1843-c.1920, fragment (source)