JMNT(i)
17 "'now Myself choosing you from out of the midst of the People (or: repeatedly taking you from out of the midst of, i.e., rescuing you from, the People), as well as from out of the midst of the ethnic multitudes (or: nations; non-Jews) unto whom I Myself am progressively sending you off with a mission:
18 "'to open back up their eyes again; to turn [their eyes; or: them] back: away from darkness (a realm of the shadow; dimness and obscurity) into Light, even from the authority and privilege of the adversary (or: that is, from the right which comes from out being the opponent), and upon God; to receive a flowing away of deviations and a release from failures, mistakes and occasions of missing the goal (or: a forgiveness of sins) and an allotted inheritance among and in union with the folks having been – and now remaining – set apart in, with and for faith which [leads] into Me (or: centered within the people now made holy by trust [which is] by the One [having come] into the midst of Me; or: within those having been consecrated for loyalty, sanctified with faith and now set apart to trusting conviction [that has brought them] unto Me).'
19 "Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I did not come to be unpersuaded in (or: become disobedient to) the heavenly sight (or: the vision from the atmosphere,) which was seen,
20 "but to the contrary, both to the folks in Damascus, first, and then in Jerusalem – besides all the country of Judea – and later to the ethnic multitudes (the nations; the non-Jews) I kept on reporting the message to be progressively changing one's way of thinking and perspective, as well as to be turning back upon (= oriented to) God, while habitually performing works (or: constantly committing deeds and practicing acts) worthy of that change of mind and that embody the value equal to [a return to Yahweh].